What is COVID-19? What are the symptoms? Read all about COVID-19 here.
The information below was published on 22 August 2022 and it is still current.
Source: Australian Department of Health
COVID-19 is a respiratory illness caused by a new virus. Symptoms range from a mild cough to pneumonia.
Some people get only mild symptoms, recover easily and others may get very sick very quickly. The virus spreads from person to person.
There is no way of knowing how severely the virus will impact each individual so getting tested, isolating until you are cleared of the virus and maintaining high levels of hand and respiratory hygiene are so important in reducing further spread of the virus.
Symptoms of COVID-19 can range from mild to severe. Some people recover easily, and others get very sick very quickly. If you test positive for COVID-19 you may experience:
Other symptoms include:
COVID-19 symptoms are similar to some common illnesses, such as colds and flu, or allergies.
The World Health Organisation has produced a video below which explains the virus, where it came from, what it does, how it’s transmitted, what the symptoms are, and how we can prevent infection.
This information sheet from the Australian Department of Health also has useful information.
To stop the spread of COVID-19 people with even mild symptoms of respiratory infection should get tested.
If you are concerned you may have COVID-19:
NDIS Easy Read – COVID-19 (Coronavirus) information
Council for Intellectual Disability - Staying Safe from COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
DHHS – Slowing the spread
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