What Australians are asking about COVID-19

Demand for the government’s coronavirus helpline is exploding, with the experts fielding a vast array of queries. Here’s what Australians most want to know.

Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy. Press conferences tend to set off a flurry of calls to the helpline. Picture: AAP Image

Calls to the Federal Government’s coronavirus helpline are coming in at an average rate of one every three seconds as demand for advice on the virus explodes.

The service is fielding an average of 30,000 calls per day, with enquiries jumping 91 per cent last week on the preceding seven days.

More than 40 per cent of callers want to know about COVID-19 symptoms.

A further 40 per cent of callers have been asking about contact and isolation issues and caring for others, while five per cent of enquiries pertain to schools, universities and childcare centres, and more than one in ten callers have wanted to know about travel restrictions.

The Federal Government’s coronavirus app and What’s App group have also been eagerly embraced by the public.

The online symptom checker run in conjunction with the helpline is also proving popular, being used 130,000 times per day.

Most COVID-19 helpline workers operate from home – but strict social distancing is enforced at the call centres that are also running. Picture: istock

Karen Borg, CEO of Healthdirect Australia, which runs the helpline, said calls tend to spike after announcements from the Prime Minister, Health Minister, Premiers and Chief Ministers.

The helpline is being staffed by 430 people in five states, with most working from home.

“We know many people are concerned about what’s happening in their area, so although we are a national line, we are also keeping up to date with changes happening across the country,” Ms Borg said. “We have teams working almost around the clock on maintaining the currency of general and clinical information.”

THE TOP 5 QUESTIONS ASKED OF THE HELPLINE:

1. What are the symptoms of COVID-19?

2. What is “close contact”?

3. What is “isolation”?

4. I don’t have symptoms but would like to get tested. Where can I get tested?

5. Can I visit other states and territories?