Coronavirus FAQ

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause respiratory infections. These can range from the common cold to more serious diseases such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).

This new coronavirus originated in Hubei Province, China and the disease caused by the virus is named COVID-19.

COVID-19 is most likely to spread from person-to-person through:

• direct close contact with an infectious person, or in the 24 hours before their symptoms appeared
• close contact with an infected person who coughs or sneezes
• touching objects or surfaces (such as door handles or tables) contaminated from a cough or sneeze from an infected person, and then touching your mouth or face

Symptoms are similar to other colds and flus and include:

• fever
• cough
• sore throat
• fatigue
• difficulty breathing

Some people who are infected may not get sick at all, some will get mild symptoms from which they will recover easily, and others may become very ill.

If you develop symptoms (fever, a cough, sore throat, tiredness or shortness of breath) within 14 days of leaving country or region that is at higher risk for COVID-19, or within 14 days of last contact of a confirmed case, you should arrange to see your doctor for urgent assessment. Go to www.health.gov.au/covid19-travellers for the current list of high or moderate risk countries.

You should telephone the health clinic or hospital before you arrive and tell them your travel history or that you may have been in contact with a potential case of coronavirus. You must remain isolated either in your home or a healthcare setting until public health authorities inform you it is safe for you to return to your usual activities.

In Australia, the people most at risk of getting the virus are those who have:

• recently travelled overseas, particularly to high risk countries
• been in close contact with someone who has a confirmed case of COVID-19

Based on what we know about coronaviruses, other people most at risk of serious infection are:

• people with compromised immune systems (such as people who have cancer)
• elderly people
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (as they have higher rates of chronic illness)
• people with chronic medical conditions
• people in group residential settings
• people in detention facilities
• very young children and babies

At this stage the risk to children and babies, and the role children play in the transmission of COVID-19, is not clear. However, there has so far been a low rate of confirmed COVID-19 cases among children, relative to the broader population.

Practising good hand and sneeze/cough hygiene and keeping away from others when they are — or if you are — sick is the best defence against most viruses. You also should:

• wash your hands frequently with soap and water, before and after eating, and after going to the toilet
• cover your cough and sneeze, dispose of tissues, and use alcohol-based hand sanitiser
• if unwell, avoid contact with others (stay more than 1.5 metres from people)
• exercise personal responsibility for social distancing measures

Wearing a surgical masks is only helpful in preventing people who have COVID-19 from spreading it to others. If you are well, you do not need to wear a surgical mask as there is little evidence supporting the widespread use of surgical masks in healthy people to prevent transmission in public.

Find out more in our fact sheet about the use of surgical masks.

Read more about protective measures against coronavirus on the World Health Organization website.

If you have a confirmed case, you need to isolate yourself to prevent it spreading to other people.

One way to help slow the spread of viruses such as COVID-19 is social distancing. This means avoiding large public gatherings if they’re not essential and reducing visits to people at higher risk of developing serious symptoms, such as people in residential care facilities and remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

There’s no need to change your daily routine, but taking these social distancing precautions can help protect the people in our community who are most at risk.

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If you become unwell and think you may have symptoms of coronavirus, seek medical attention.

Your doctor will decide if you need testing, based on the following criteria:

• you have returned from overseas in the 14 days before you feel unwell
• you have been a close or casual contact of a confirmed COVID-19 case in the 14 days before you feel unwell
• you have a fever or acute respiratory infection (e.g. shortness of breath, cough, sore throat) with or without fever
• you have a severe community-acquired pneumonia and no other cause of it is clear to your doctor, with or without recent international travel
• if you are a healthcare worker with direct patient contact and have a fever (≥37.5) and an acute respiratory infection (e.g. shortness of breath, cough, sore throat)

Call ahead of time to book an appointment. Tell your doctor about your symptoms, travel history and any recent close contact with someone who has coronavirus.

We may ask you to:

• call us from your car when you arrive at the Practice so we know you are waiting
• wait outside / in your car until the Doctor is ready for you. This is so that Stonewall staff and other patients are not exposed.

Stonewall Medical Centre is not equipped to conduct COVID-19 testing. 

Alternatively, we may ask you to attend one of the fever clinics listed belowl as we are not equiped to collect suspected COVID-19 samples safely.

Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital
Hospital location – Butterfield St, Herston QLD 4029
Clinic location – Emergency Department Extension Clinic, Adjacent to Emergency Department ambulance bay
Open hours – 24 hours, 7 days

The Prince Charles Hospital
Hospital location – 627 Rode Rd, Chermside QLD 4032
Clinic location: Emergency Department Extension Clinic, in previous Children’s Outpatients Department.
A secondary clinic has been set up adjacent to the Education Centre
Open hours – 8.00 am to 11.00 pm, 7 days. Outside this time, attend Emergency Department as usual

Redcliffe Hospital
Hospital location – Anzac Avenue, Redcliffe QLD 4020
Clinic locations – 2 demountable next to Emergency Department, for symptomatic patients only
Open hours – 8.00 am to 6.00 pm, 7 days. Outside this time, attend Emergency Department as usual

Caboolture Hospital
Hospital location – 120 Mckean St, Caboolture QLD 4510
Clinic location – Adjacent to Emergency Department in demountable buildings
Open hours – 7.00 am to 3.30 pm, 7 days. Outside this time, attend Emergency Department as usual

Mater Hospital and Health Service (South Brisbane)
Hospital location – Raymond Terrace, South Brisbane QLD 4101
Clinic location – Public ED (Former ‘Fast track’ area)
Open hours – 24 hours, 7 days

Princess Alexandra Hospital
Hospital location – 199 Ipswich Rd, Woolloongabba QLD 4102
Clinic location: Emergency Department Short Stay Unit
Open hours – 24 hours, 7 days

QEII Hospital
Hospital location – Troughton Rd & Kessels Rd, Coopers Plains QLD 4108
Area beside Emergency Department
Open hours – 12.00pm to 8:30pm, 7 days. Outside this time, attend Emergency Department as usual

Redlands Hospital
Hospital location – Weipin Street, Cleveland QLD 4163
Clinic location: Emergency Department Short Stay Unit
Open hours – 24 hours, 7 days

Logan Hospital
Hospital location- Armstrong Rd and Loganlea Rd, Meadowbrook QLD 4131
Clinic location: Designated area in Emergency Department
Open hours: 10:00am to 6:00pm

GCHHS Gold Coast University Hospital
Hospital Location: 1 Hospital Blvd Southport 4215
Open hours: 09:00 – 21:00hrs.

Samples are taken via two swabs of the nasal passages.  The results are usually back within 36 hours.

If you must leave home to see your doctor, wear a surgical mask (if you have one) to protect others.

There is no treatment for coronavirus, but medical care can treat most of the symptoms. Antibiotics do not work on viruses.

If you have been diagnosed with coronavirus, isolate yourself in your home.

Do not go to public places, such as work, school, shopping centres, childcare or university. If possible, ask other people to get food and other necessities for you and leave them at your front door.

Only people who usually live with you should be in your home. Do not let in visitors. Where possible, get others such as friends or family who are not required to be isolated to get food or other necessities for you.

You do not need to wear a mask in your home.

If you need to leave home to seek medical attention, wear a surgical mask (if you have one) to protect others.

Currently some patients are eligible to have a telephone consult because of COVID 19 which can be bulk billed to Medicare.  While others who are not eligible would be able to request a privately billed telephone consult for which there is no Medicare rebate.

Please speak with our Reception team to discuss who is eligible.

If we do a telephone consult for you, we are unable to guarantee the exact time of the consult.  We will give you an approximate time and ask that you be patient as we are experiencing significant demand on our services currently.

There is no need to panic buy toilet paper or other supplies.  When people panic buy it means other people miss out.  If you are shopping for grocery items, we suggest you buy enough to last you two weeks.  If you are already in isolation, you could ask family or friends to do some grocery shopping for you.  Alternatively, you may be able to order items online and have them delivered to your front door.

A large 48 pack of toilet paper will last the average household around 2 months or more.