Australia's eighth COVID-19 wave may be peaking, but people are being warned to be wary of the virus as the festive season ramps up.
But now that there are no hard and fast rules regarding isolation, what should you do if you get COVID-19?
Here's a quick refresh.
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What’s happening with COVID?
Australia's Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said the latest COVID wave has been less severe in terms of hospitalisation, but warned cases may rise.
"My sense is that we have probably peaked and will start to decrease [in cases]," Professor Kelly told ABC News Breakfast last week.
"[However] we are in the festive season and there are lots of parties and so forth so the possibility that transmission will happen is certainly there."
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How long is COVID contagious for?
The amount of time someone remains infectious with COVID can be hard to pinpoint.
However, Adelaide epidemiologist Adrian Esterman says there is evidence that suggests people can shed virus particles between day seven and 10 from diagnosis.
"However, if symptoms have resolved [no coughing or sneezing], they would be less likely to infect others," Professor Esterman said.
Here's what a spokesperson from the federal Department of Health had to say:
"The infectious period is dependent on individual factors such as age, severity of illness, vaccination status, including time since last vaccination against COVID-19, and whether someone is immunocompromised.
"Some people can have a prolonged infectious period, however most people with mild-moderate illness are unlikely to be infectious for more than 10 days after symptom onset.
"Recent evidence suggests most children are likely no longer infectious by five days following a positive COVID-19 test."
Are the symptoms still the same?
Yes. They haven't changed since the start of the pandemic.
According to the department you can experience:
- fever
- coughing
- sore throat
- shortness of breath.
What to do if you have COVID-19
You're not required by law to isolate if you have COVID-19 symptoms, but it is strongly encouraged you stay at home.
Here's what the federal health website says to do if you test positive for COVID-19:
You should not visit high-risk settings like hospitals and aged and disability care settings:
- for at least 7 days or until symptoms have gone
- unless seeking immediate medical care.
To help protect those around you, we recommend:
- avoiding contact with people who are at higher risk of severe disease
- wearing a mask outside the home
- working from home where possible
- avoiding going to school, public areas, or travel on public transport, in taxis or ride-share services
- practising good hygiene
- following your local health department's advice when leaving home.
If you do need to leave your home during the infectious period, Professor Esterman recommends wearing a P2/N95 mask to protect others.
Where can I get the new XBB 1.5 vaccine?
A new vaccine targeting the Omicron subvariant XBB 1.5 is now available in pharmacies and GPs across Australia.
Three versions of XBB 1.5 is available:
- One for people over the age of 12 from Pfizer
- One for children aged between five and 12 from Pfizer
- One for people over the age of 12 from Moderna
Australian Medical Association vice-president Danielle McMullan said vaccines do take 7-14 days to reach full effectiveness so if you're due for a booster, now is the time.
"The new XBB vaccines recently approved by ATAGI are better targeted to the strains currently circulating in Australia and provide a modest improvement in immunity compared to previous vaccines," Dr McMullan said.
Eligibility varies based on age, other health conditions, how many vaccines you've already had and when, and whether you've recently had a COVID infection. The vaccine advisory group ATAGI explains in more detail on its website.
What are the latest COVID-19 case numbers?
The federal government now reports COVID-19 case numbers via the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System.
Between November 1 and November 30, 43,899 cases were reported across the country.
This is compared to 27,903 cases reported for the month of October.
One thing to keep in mind is the figures for November may lag due to backlogs in notifications from the states and territories.
The ABC has been monitoring the figures for November and they're still changing every day.
Here's the state by state breakdown of laboratory case numbers for November as of Tuesday, December 12:
- ACT: 2,178
- NSW: 12,286
- NT: 546
- QLD: 7,151
- SA: 9,329
- TAS: 4,146
- VIC: 6,085
- WA: 2,178
Meanwhile, the latest national data on hospital admissions shows there were 118 people with COVID-19 admitted to hospitals in the seven days to December 4, with 54 of those cases in ICU.
