What are coronaviruses?
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses. Some coronaviruses cause illness in humans, and others cause illness in animals, such as bats, camels, and civets. Human coronaviruses generally cause mild illness, such as the common cold.
Rarely, animal coronaviruses can evolve to infect and spread among humans, causing severe diseases such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) which emerged in 2002, and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) which emerged in 2012.
Novel coronavirus (COVID-19)
Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is a new strain of coronavirus that has not been previously identified in humans.
The COVID-19 is a new coronavirus, initially affecting people in Hubei Province, China and now occuring more widely in China. Smaller numbers of cases have been identified in several other countries.
There is much more to learn about how it is spread, its severity, and other features associated with the COVID-19 virus, and investigations are ongoing. The World Health Organization has officially named the 2019 novel coronavirus 'COVID-19'.
Outbreaks of a COVID-19 infection among people are always a public health concern. The situation is evolving rapidly.
The COVID-19 virus is closely related to SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and in the same family as MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome).
Coronavirus experts think that it’s likely that the COVID-19 originated in an animal species, and then spread to humans.
Person to person spread of COVID-19 is occurring, but it is not yet understood how easily this happens.
Human coronavirus strains are spread from person to person through contaminated droplets from a person who is sick with the illness (through coughing or sneezing) or contaminated hands, and generally occurs between people who are close contacts with one another.
COVID-19 does not appear to last very long on surfaces. The risk of this virus being present on imported packages or products is negligible.
The best way to protect yourself from COVID-19 and other respiratory infections is to practice good hygiene by:
making sure to clean your hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds with soap and water, or use hand sanitizer
cover your nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing with tissue or a flexed elbow
avoid close contact with anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms.
The COVID-19 virus can be spread from person to person, most likely by coughing or contact with respiratory secretions of people infected with COVID-19.
There have been a small number of cases of transmission from person to person occurring outside of mainland China.
The large majority of cases appear to be spread from people who have developed symptoms. There is preliminary evidence that a very small number of people may have been infectious before their symptoms developed, but this remains unclear. More information about this new virus is needed in order to understand when a person becomes infectious.
Patients may have fever, cough, runny nose, shortness of breath and other symptoms.
In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia with severe acute respiratory distress.
If you have travelled to or transited through mainland China (excluding Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan) in the 14 days before your symptoms started, and you have a fever and/or respiratory symptoms, please call your doctor, or your local Emergency Department or Healthdirect on +84 989 671 115 or +84 963 851 919 . Tell the person when you call that you have been in mainland China.
Infection with COVID-19 is diagnosed by finding evidence of COVID-19 in respiratory samples such as swabs from the throat or fluid from the lungs. Testing for COVID-19 is done in public health laboratories.
If you have been identified as a contact of a person with confirmed COVID-19 infection in VietNam, the local public health unit will contact you with advice. This advice will include that you need to isolate yourself at home for 14 days after contact with the infected person, and to monitor your health and report any symptoms.
Person to person spread of coronaviruses generally occurs between people who are close contacts with one another. A close contact is someone who has been face to face for at least 15 minutes, or been in the same closed space for at least 2 hours, with a person that was infectious. Close contacts of people with confirmed COVID-19 will be closely monitored by public health units for the development of any symptoms, and should call their public health unit to report any symptoms.
If your contact with the person was less than this, there is a much smaller risk of you being infected. However, as a precaution you must still monitor your health until 14 days after you were last exposed to the infectious person. If you develop symptoms including a fever and/or respiratory signs, please call ahead to talk to a doctor or call Healthdirect on +84 989 671 115 or +84 963 851 919
Practice simple hygiene by:
making sure to clean your hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds with soap and water, or use hand sanitizer
cover your nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing with tissue or a flexed elbow
avoid close contact with anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms.
People who have visited mainland China (excluding Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan), or who have had contact with an infected person, in the previous 14 days may be at risk of catching the disease. People with underlying illnesses that make them more vulnerable to respiratory disease, including those with diabetes, chronic lung disease, kidney failure, people with suppressed immune systems and the elderly may be at a higher risk of serious disease.
People who have a suppressed immune system should protect themselves in the same way they would against any respiratory infection. This includes making sure to clean your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds, or an alcohol-based hand rub. You should cover your nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing with tissue or a flexed elbow, and avoid close contact with anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms.
You should avoid contact with anyone that has a respiratory illness, and discuss any concerns you have with your usual medical treating team.
It’s likely that general prevention measures used for other respiratory infections will also prevent infection with COVID-19.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends measures to reduce the general risk of acute respiratory infections while travelling in or from affected areas by:
avoiding close contact with people suffering from acute respiratory infections;
frequent hand-washing, especially after direct contact with ill people or their environment;
avoiding close contact with live or dead farm or wild animals;
people with symptoms of acute respiratory infection should practice cough etiquette (keep away from other people, cover coughs and sneezes with disposable tissues or clothing, and wash hands with soap and running water for at least 20 seconds).
Travellers to China should not visit live bird and animal markets, including ‘wet’ markets. There is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19 infections.
Currently there are no available vaccines that protect against coronaviruses.
There is no specific treatment. Early diagnosis and general supportive care are important. Most of the time, symptoms will resolve on their own. People who have serious disease with complications can be cared for in hospital.
If you are after medical advice and your general practitioner is not able to speak with you, you can call Healthdirect on +84 989 671 115 or +84 963 851 919
Testing can be carried out by your GP or at an emergency department.
If you have been in or transited through mainland China (excluding Hong Kong , Macau and Taiwan) in the last 14 days and develop a fever, cough, sore throat or shortness of breath, contact your GP or your nearest emergency department. It is important to phone ahead so that the practice or emergency department can make appropriate preparations and protect others.
Testing can be ordered in emergency departments or by your general practitioner.
The Australian Government has put in place protective measures at all international ports. For the most recent advice from the Australian Government, please visit Department of Health - Coronavirus (COVID-19) .
Infection with COVID-19 is a notifiable condition under the NSW Public Health Act 2010, so doctors and pathology laboratories are required to notify NSW Health of all people suspected or confirmed to have the infection.
Public health unit staff will investigate all cases to find out how the infection occurred, identify other people at risk of infection, implement control measures and provide other advice.
The best way to protect yourself is the same as you would against any respiratory infection. Practice good hygiene by:
making sure to clean your hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds with soap and water, or use hand sanitizer
cover your nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing with tissue or a flexed elbow
avoid close contact with anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms.
People who have symptoms and might be infected with COVID-19 are required to stay in isolation at home and should wear a surgical face mask when in the same room as another person and when seeking medical advice to reduce the risk of transmitting COVID-19 to anyone else.
Make sure you stay home if you are sick.
If you stay in Da Nang -Viet Nam, you can buy surgical face mask and hand sanitizer at ABC pharmacy stores.
267 Ho Nghinh, Son Tra, Da Nang - (+84) 236 3866 722
47 Tran Quoc Toan, Hai Chau, Da Nang - (+84) 236 3820 015
51 Tran Binh Trong, Hai Chau, Da Nang - (+84) 236 3922 092
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