Coronavirus: All your questions about COVID-19 answered

There is a lot of confusion as governments scramble to contain the pandemic. Here are all your coronavirus questions with the simplest answers.

Governments and health authorities around the world are scrambling to contain the deadly coronavirus, closing schools, banning public gatherings, and declaring states of emergency.

As the virus continues to spread rapidly around the globe, so too does panic and misinformation about what COVID-19 could mean.

There are no stupid questions when it comes to learning about coronavirus. Here is everything you need to know:

SHOULD I SEND MY KIDS TO SCHOOL?

The current advice regarding sending your kids to school does differ slightly between each state.

The Federal Government has maintained that schools will not close, and that children should still be attending.

“I do not want to see our children lose an entire year of their education. This is very serious,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said, adding that there had been no change to the health advice.

“And we want to ensure keeping Australia running means ensuring we can keep up to the mark with our children’s education as best as we can and where there is health advice – which there is – you can get to school and you can be taught, then it is important that we do that for as long as possible, except where health circumstances would change that arrangement.”

In NSW, however, Premier Gladys Berejiklian said that while schools in the state would remain open and “no child will be turned away”, the State Government is “encouraging parents to keep their children at home”.

“For practical reasons, in NSW we will be encouraging parents to keep their children at home,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“However I want to stress that for parents who have no option, for parents who are workers, that have no option, the schools will remain open. No child will be turned away from school.”

In Victoria, Premier Daniel Andrews announced the Easter holidays would be brought forward, now commencing on Tuesday, March 24.

The PM had previously said that the wide-scale closure of schools would not be occurring because it could negatively impact how the epidemic curve operates.

So while schools are staying open for the time being, many have adopted strict new measures – including cancelling assemblies and excursions, staggering lunch breaks and putting distancing measures in place – in response to the virus crisis.

Parents of children who have chronic medical conditions or immunosuppression and may be at risk of disease have been advised to consider special arrangements for their kids such as home-based study.

WHAT DOES SOCIAL DISTANCING MEAN?

Australians are being urged to use “social distancing” when they are away from home to help prevent the spread of the virus.

This can be done by keeping a minimum distance of 1.5 metres between yourself and other people as recommended by the Australian Department of Health.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended people stand a minimum of one metre apart in public.

This is because standing any closer to another person who then coughs means “you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing has the disease”, WHO has warned.

Social distancing also includes measures such as not going out in public unless necessary and taking steps to prevent coronavirus being transmitted inside the home.

“Every citizen now has to think about every interaction they have with another person during the day,” chief medical officer Brendan Murphy said.

“No more hand-shaking. No more hugging except in your family … No more scant attention to hand hygiene.”

I DON’T LIVE WITH MY PARTNER. CAN I STILL VISIT THEM?

There’s been a lot of confusion around this one but the short answer is yes.

Victorian authorities initially said you can’t but then backflipped on the decision.

After a storm of protest by Victorian couples, the state’s chief health officer confirmed in a Twitter post tonight that “Stay at Home” rules would come into line with the more relaxed attitudes of other states.

The same rules still apply where you can’t have social gatherings of more than two people.

CAN I STILL KEEP MY WEEKLY PERSONAL TRAINING SESSIONS?

You’re still allowed to exercise with one other person and more if they’re members of your household.

Boot camps are banned and outdoor gyms are closed.

You can still exercise in parks while maintaining a 1.5m distance from other people.

RELATED: How to workout now public outdoor gyms are closed

CAN I MEET UP WITH A FRIEND FOR A COFFEE?

The only option here is to order a takeaway coffee and go for a walk, because that counts as exercise.

In NSW you're not allowed to sit down at the park.

And as per the two person gathering rule, you’re only allowed to meet one other person if they’re not from your household.

CAN MY CHILDREN GO BETWEEN THEIR PARENTS' HOUSES OR DO THEY HAVE TO STAY AT EITHER THEIR MUM'S OR DAD'S FULL-TIME?

In NSW one of the reasonable excuses to go out is to keep existing care arrangements with your children if you don’t live with them.

It’s the same in other states, although they don’t set it out specifically.

All shared custody arrangements can continue as normal, keeping in mind playgrounds are closed if that’s where you usually go.

CAN I GO FISHING? CAN I PLAY GOLF?

In Victoria people are being told to keep the rods and clubs at home.

In NSW fishing is counted as exercise and in Queensland you’re allowed to do it if it’s for food.

Again, you should only be hanging out with one other person and keep the 1.5m distance.

At the end of the day you simply have to ask yourself, is this really essential? If not, stay at home.

CAN I GO OUT TO BARS AND RESTAURANTS?

Under tough new restrictions, cafes and restaurants will be able to operate, but only to offer takeaway and delivery services.

Pubs, nightclubs, cinemas and gyms are among the businesses across Australia that will shut down as a result of sweeping new measures to fight the spread of coronavirus.

“Because guidelines can’t be followed, then for public health reasons we now need to take further actions which shuts those gatherings,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a press conference on March 22.

The shutdown also applies to casinos, indoor places of worship, gyms and indoor sporting venues, following the Federal Government’s ban on all non-essential indoor gatherings of 100 or more people.

They could stay shut for up to six months.

It does not apply to schools, hospitals, aged care and other health services, correctional centres or other custodial facilities, courts, tribunals or parliaments.

Shopping centres, supermarkets, grocery and other retail stores are also exempted in the course of “normal business of those premises”, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on March 18.

An indoor gathering is considered any within a single, enclosed area — for example, a room or premises substantially enclosed by a roof and walls.

It doesn’t matter if any part of the room is opened or closed, temporary or permanent.

CAN I GO TO THE GYM?

Under the new restrictions implemented by the Federal Government, gyms and indoor sporting venues across the nation are now closed indefinitely.

On the advice of state and federal health authorities, local councils across the country had already made the decision to close facilities that include gyms and aquatic centres.

DO I NEED TO STOCKPILE FOOD AND TOILET PAPER?

While it’s important to make some preparations should you need to self-isolate, there is no need to stockpile food, toilet paper, or anything else.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and supermarkets have begged people not to panic buy, which is creating unnecessary shortages.

Families should slowly build up their long-life grocery stocks and other essentials such as prescription medications, toilet paper and tissues by buying a few things each weekly shop, advised University of Queensland virologist Ian Mackay in a blog post.

“We’re not going through a nuclear winter. If schools close or gatherings are shut down, we’ll still have access to grocery shops,” Professor Mackay said.

“Don’t buy things you won’t eat later, don’t hoard and don’t buy more than you’ll need for a two-week period. We’re not talking zombie apocalypse.”

Consider purchasing foods that will fulfil a need for carbohydrates, protein and fibre, supplies for caring for the sick and cleaning products to reduce the spread.

SHOULD I STOP VISITING NANNA?

Tough new restrictions on access to aged care facilities have been put in place to protect older Australians who more at risk from the virus.

Visits to aged care residents will only be allowed for a short duration and limited to a maximum of two people per day. Children under 16 will be allowed to visit only by exception and no school visits of any kind will be allowed.

Visits should be in resident’s room, outdoors or in special areas but not in communal spaces. where the risk of transmission is higher.

Anyone who hasn’t been vaccinated against influenza after May 1 also won’t be allowed to visit or if you have a cold or flu symptoms.

Special arrangements will be made on compassionate grounds for people in palliative care.

CAN YOU CATCH CORONAVIRUS TWICE?

There have been a few isolated examples where reinfection has been reported.

But Professor Jimmy Whitworth from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said these examples were likely related to how the tests were conducted.

He said it was likely people got infected once and Professor Raina MacIntyre, from UNSW in Sydney, agreed with this line of thinking, saying there wasn’t enough scientific evidence to prove reinfection was possible. Read more here.

I’VE RETURNED FROM OVERSEAS, HOW DO I GET HOME?

When travelling home or to your hotel from the airport to start self-isolation, the Australian Department of Health recommends using personal transport – such as a car – to minimise exposure to others.

WHAT IF I NEED TO GET A CAB?

If you are travelling home from the airport via a taxi or an Uber, it’s recommended that you wear a surgical mask if you have one available.

You should also avoid direct contact with your driver, other passengers or transport staff and cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has advised people they should “sit in the back, not in the front seat” if you are catching a cab or an Uber as part of social distancing.

WHEN SHOULD I SELF-ISOLATE?

Anyone arriving into Australia from overseas will be required to self-isolate for 14 days.

You are also required to self-isolate for 14 days – from the date of last contact with the confirmed case – if you have come into close contact with a proven case of coronavirus.

In South Australia, the Northern Territory, Western Australia and Tasmania, you are also now required to self-isolate for 14 days if you have returned from domestic travel.

IF I PICK SOMEONE UP FROM THE AIRPORT, DO I NEED TO SELF-ISOLATE?

You only need to self-isolate if that person tests positive to COVID-19.

HOW DO I SELF-ISOLATE WITH MY FAMILY?

Self-isolation means that you need to stay away from all situations where you could infect other people, Public Health Professor Michael Barker told Radio New Zealand.

This means any situation where you may come in close contact with others (face-to-face contact closer than one metre for more than 15 minutes).

You should avoid social gatherings, work, school, childcare, university, religious gatherings, aged care and health care facilities, sports gatherings, restaurants, and all other public gatherings for 14 days.

On advice from NSW Health, if you are sharing your home with others, you should:

• Stay in a different room from them or be separated as much as possible.

• Wear a surgical mask when you are in the same room as another person.

• Use a separate bathroom and toilet, if available.

• Use a separate towel, toiletries or other household items.

• Avoid using the kitchen when other people are there and take your meals back to your room to eat.

• Make sure you have separate items like plates and cutlery.

If you need groceries or medication (including prescription medication) while you are in quarantine, ask a family member or friend who is not in isolation to deliver them to your door or shop for groceries online.

IS IT SAFE TO SWIM IN MY LOCAL POOL?

According to the ABC’s Dr Norman Swan, people should steer clear of their local chlorine swimming pools for the time being.

“Part of the problem with swimming is the variability in chlorination. And if you’re in a part of Australia where it’s hot and lots of people are using the pool, you don’t want to go there anyway because you don’t want to go anywhere where there’s large numbers of people,” Dr Swan wrote in an article.

Chlorination, he said, did not kill coronavirus, and while the chances of catching the virus in a well-chlorinated pool are “incredibly low”, mixing with other people in a wet environment is “not good” because all kinds of infections can be passed on.

On the advice of state and federal health authorities, local councils across the country have made the decision to close facilities including aquatic centres.

CAN I TRAVEL OVERSEAS?

Australians have been given strict instructions not to travel overseas with Cabinet’s National Security Committee raising the advice to level four – do not travel – for all overseas travel.

“The travel advice to every Australian is do not travel abroad,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a briefing on March 18.

“That is an indefinite ban but, as you are seeing from other countries around the world, they are putting similar restrictions on entry, just as Australia has on others coming into Australia and you would expect that to be in place now and that is the stage we have reached.”

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has advised all Australians currently overseas to return home now by commercial means, warning “commercial options may quickly become limited”.

Everyone arriving in Australia from overseas, including Australian citizens and permanent residents, will be required to self-isolate for 14 days from the date of arrival.

CAN I GO TO THE MOVIES?

Cinemas across Australia will be closed indefinitely under the new stage one virus measures.

SHOULD I GO TO WORK?

The Federal Government is yet to enforce any measures restricting people from going to work.

However, a growing number of companies around Australia are asking their employees to work from home for an indefinite period. Some scientists and doctors have advised that if you are able to work from home, you should seek out whether the option is available to you to curb the coronavirus spread.

Workplaces are not covered by the government’s ban on non-essential gatherings of more than 100 and that means office buildings, factories, construction and mining sites are all exempted “for their normal operation”.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?

The symptoms of coronavirus can range from a mild cough to pneumonia.

According to the World Health Organisation, the most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, tiredness and a dry cough. Some patients may have aches and pains, nasal congestion, a runny nose, sore throat or diarrhoea. These symptoms are usually mild and begin gradually.

There are also some people who become infected but don’t develop any symptoms and don’t feel unwell.

Around one out of every six people who gets COVID-19 becomes seriously ill and develops difficulty breathing, while most people (about 80 per cent) recover from the disease without needing special treatment.

HOW DO I GET TESTED? DOES IT COST MONEY?

Testing for coronavirus is done using swabs that are stuck into both nostrils and down the throat. It can be performed by your GP or at several private pathology sites or public hospitals that have established COVID-19 clinics. Here are the clinics in NSW, Victoria and South Australia.

In NSW, if you don’t have Medicare or health or travel insurance, NSW Health will waive the cost of testing, recovery procedures and ambulance transfers.

I FEEL SICK. WHAT DO I DO?

The symptoms of COVID-19 are similar to other colds and flus. The Health Department states “it is important to remember that most people displaying these symptoms are likely suffering with a cold or other respiratory illness – not coronavirus”.

If you are feeling sick, there is a free-call coronavirus hotline [phone]) you can ring, and medical staff will advise you on the best course of action depending on your symptoms and risks.

You should also stay at home and avoid going out in public to grocery stores, on public transport, etc.

To be tested for coronavirus in Australia, you must meet a range of criteria:

• You have returned from overseas in the past 14 days and developed respiratory illness with or without fever.

• You have been in close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case in the past 14 days and developed respiratory illness with or without fever.

• You have severe community-acquired pneumonia and there is no clear cause.

• You are a healthcare worker who works directly with patients and you have a respiratory illness and a fever.

HOW LONG DOES CORONAVIRUS LIVE ON SURFACES?

The virus can live for as long as three days on some surfaces, according to the study published by the New England Journal of Medicine.

The risk of touching the materials and actually becoming infected, the researchers said, is still low – but is a stark reminder that people need to be exercising proper hand and oral hygiene.

Read more here.

IS IKEA STILL OPEN?

The Swedish furniture chain remains open.

Social distancing measures apply and stores are only accepting card payments.

Lifts are limited to one person and playrooms are closed.

CAN I GO TO BUNNINGS?

Bunnings is still open and like other stores social distancing measures apply.

Floors are marked so the 1.5m distance can be applied and stock has been moved around to open up space.

Playgrounds, coffee stations and water fountains are closed.

Last month stores introduced tough new buying limits.