Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause respiratory infections. The coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China is a new strain of coronavirus that has not been detected in people before.
The virus was initially known as the ‘Novel Coronavirus (nCoV-2019)’, but it’s now officially named Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
The infectious disease caused by this virus is called COVID-19.
Symptoms of COVID-19 include:
- fever
- chills or night sweats
- cough
- sore throat
- tiredness
- difficulty breathing
- headache
- muscle pain (myalgia)
- joint pain
- loss of sense of smell (anosmia)
- distortion of sense of taste (dysgeusia)
- vomiting
- diarrhoea
Four out of 5 people infected with COVID-19 experience a mild to moderate respiratory illness.
How severe is COVID-19?
Four out of 5 people infected with COVID-19 experience mild or moderate symptoms; however, in more severe cases breathing difficulties can develop into pneumonia.
People at most risk of serious infection include:
- people 70 years of age or older
- people who are 65 years or older with chronic medical conditions
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who are 50 years or older with a chronic medical condition
- those with compromised immune systems (such as people with cancer)
If you do need to visit your doctor, it is very important that you call before visiting, to describe your symptoms and travel history.
If you have severe difficulty breathing, call triple zero (000) immediately and tell the call handler and the paramedics on arrival about your recent travel history.
