Your biggest Covid-19 questions answered by a doctor

With Covid now circulating within the community, we answered all the questions you need to know including reinfection and when you are no longer infectious.

With Covid now circulating within the community of Cairns, some infectious disease specialists have answered many important questions that you want answered.

Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service infectious disease specialist Dr Simon Smith and infectious diseases physician and JCU professor Emma McBryde have answered some questions around reinfections and when you are no longer infectious.

After having the virus can you be reinfected from Omicron?

“It seems that having had another variant like Delta gives you very little protection against reinfection,” Prof McBryde said.

“Similarly having had the vaccine six months ago, also gives you very limited protection.”

Queensland Health staff administered paperwork for patients to fill out before they reached the front of the queue. Picture: Brendan Radke

When does your isolation start if you test positive?

According to Queensland Health your isolation begins from the date you test positive.

The isolation ends seven days after you took the test. You can leave if you have not had symptoms 48 hours before. If you still have symptoms you must isolate for an extra three days, which makes a total of 10.

Do you have to get a day six rapid antigen test if you have tested positive to Covid?

CHHHS infectious disease specialist Dr Simon Smith said that when someone tests positive for coronavirus, they do not have to take a test on day six.

Are you still infectious when you get out of quarantine after seven days?

“When someone comes out of isolation on day seven it is very unlikely very unlikely that they’ll still be infectious,” Dr Smith said.

Prof McBryde said Omicron was a bit more rapid.

“The incubation period is three days, you are infectious about one day before you get symptoms. After seven days most people are no longer infectious,” she said.

When are you able to get your booster shot?

“At the moment people can get the booster shot four months after their second Covid dose, but I believe that’s changing to three months from the end of this month,” Dr Smith said.

Cairns Hospital Chief Executive Tina Chinery (left) and infectious disease expert Dr Simon Smith provided an update about growing cases of COVID-19 across FNQ and the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Services response plans. Picture: Alison Paterson

How soon after your booster shot are you protected?

Prof McBryde said the boost to your immunity is fairly rapid.

“For your very first one it takes about 10 days for the immune system to get in. Once you have had your booster it should only take a matter of days,” she said.

What can people do to limit the spread of Omicron?

“I think the most important thing is for people to reduce the indoor activities and be very careful about mask use, physical distancing and hand hygiene,” Prof McBryde said.

She said it was better to do more things outdoors than indoors.

I think that’s a more sustainable approach than staying home and locking down.”

When are you classified a close contact?

You are only a close contact if you are a household member or household-like contact (four hours in a household setting). These people must isolate for seven days. Close contacts who meet requirements of a critically-essential worker can leave quarantine to go to workplace if they have no symptoms.

Originally published as Your biggest Covid-19 questions answered by a doctor