Health authorities say it is important to understand COVID-19 and the steps you need to take if you show symptoms of the novel coronavirus infection.
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There have been more than 12,000 people tested in Victoria since the outbreak began, but to date there have been no publicly confirmed cases of coronavirus in Ballarat.
Given the increasing severity of the pandemic, it is unlikely the health department will now confirm exact locations of people who test positive.
This will likely remain the case unless there is a genuine public health risk.
Victoria's chief health officer Professor Brett Sutton expects to see more and more cases of COVID-19 in Victoria.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?
- Fever
- Cough or sore throat
- Chills
- Body aches or headache
- Shortness of breath
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
- 1) Call the health department hotline on 1800 675 398
- 2) Contact your GP
- 3) If appropriate, the GP will refer you to the fever clinic at BHS on Drummond Street
- 4) Only visit a hospital if there is no alternative
HOW IS IT SPREAD?
- Direct close contact (15 minutes face-to-face or more than two hours in the same room) with a person while they are infectious
- Close contact with a person with a confirmed infection who coughs or sneezes
- Touching objects or surfaces contaminated from a cough or sneeze from a person with a confirmed infection, then touching your mouth/face
WHO IS MOSTLY AT RISK?
- People with compromised immune systems
- Elderly people
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
- People with diagnosed chronic medical conditions
- Very young children/babies
- People in group residential settings
- People in detention facilities.
AND REMEMBER...
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, before and after eating, and after going to the toilet
- Cover your cough and sneeze, dispose of tissues, and use alcohol-based hand sanitiser
**Partly-sourced from the Department of Health
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