Manage COVID-19 at home
It is no longer necessary to report a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) positive result.
However, it is important to follow COVID information for your health and the health of the community.
Use the information below to determine your health risk and what action to take or when to seek medical care.
Manage your health risk
Step 1. Check your risk level
Low risk
- AGE
- Less than 70 years
- Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander less than 30 years
- and
- Normally well
- Not pregnant
- Not taking regular medication (excluding contraception, HRT)
Medium risk
- AGE
- 70 years and over
- or
- 50 years of age or over with two medium risk factors
- Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander aged 30 years or over with two medium risk factors
- or
- Pregnant
Medium risk factors
- Diabetes (type 1 or 2) requiring medication
- Have a body mass index (BMI) more than 30. Calculate your BMI.
- Heart: heart failure, coronary heart disease, cardiomyopathy
- Lung: chronic respiratory disease including COPD, moderate or severe asthma
- Kidney: chronic kidney disease, kidney failure
- Liver: liver cirrhosis
- Living with disability with multiple conditions or frailty but not in residential care
- Neurological: conditions including stroke, dementia, demyelinating conditions e.g. multiple sclerosis, Guillian-Barre Syndrome
- Living remotely with reduced access to higher level health care
High risk
- RISK FACTORS AT ANY AGE
- Immunosuppressed e.g. blood cancer, HIV, immunosuppressive medications
- Organ transplant recipient
- Kidney dialysis
- Active cancer – chemotherapy or radiotherapy in last 3 months
- Living in residential aged of disability care
- Palliative care
- Pregnant and less than 3 COVID vaccines
- High dose steroids in the last 3 months
- Congenital heart disease
- Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome
- Red cell blood disorders e.g. thalassemia and sickle cell disease
Step 2. Follow the advice
| Risk level | Advice |
|---|---|
Low risk | How to prepare
If you get sick
|
Medium risk | How to prepareMake a plan with your GP every year to discuss:
If you get sick
|
High risk | How to prepareDiscuss the following with your specialist and GP:
If you get sick
|
Booking a telehealth appointment
Tell your GP if you are a medium or high risk patient when booking your telehealth appointment. This allows the GP to prioritise patients according to their health risk.
How to manage your symptoms
Everyone who gets COVID-19 will experience it a little differently.
Most people will have a mild illness, recover in a couple of days and feel completely better in a week or 2.
Some people may have no symptoms at all. Those who have up to date vaccinations are less likely to experience severe symptoms. Read more about symptoms of COVID-19.
Most symptoms can be managed with:
- bed rest
- regular paracetamol and ibuprofen to relieve pain and fevers
- throat lozenges for a sore throat
- staying hydrated with regular water intake.
Continue to take any medications you have been prescribed as usual.
If you are unsure about continuing to take your current medication or treatment, or have any concerns about your health, call your doctor.
You can monitor your symptoms using the symptoms diary PDF (298.8 KB) or use the Healthdirect symptom checker to assess and manage your symptoms.
Call Healthdirect on 1800 022 222 for health advice 24 hours a day.
When to seek medical help
You should call Healthdirect if you:
- feel gradually more unwell or more breathless
- have difficulty breathing when you stand up or move around
- feel very weak, achy or tired
- are shaking or shivering
- have lost your appetite
- are unable to care for yourself e.g. dressing yourself or making food is too difficult
- feel unwell after 4 weeks - this may be long COVID.
If you become very unwell at home, you need to call triple zero (000) and ask for an ambulance. You should tell the operator that you have COVID-19.
Call triple zero (000) if you:
- are so breathless you are unable to say short sentences when resting
- suddenly find it hard to breathe or your breathing has gotten worse
- cough up blood
- feel cold and sweaty, with pale or blotchy skin
- have a rash that looks like small bruises or bleeding under the skin and doesn't fade when you roll a glass over it
- collapse or faint
- feel agitated, confused or very drowsy
- stop urinating or are urinating much less than usual.
If you have a speech and/or hearing impairment and use telecommunication devices for the deaf, contact the Text Emergency Relay Service on 106.
Treatments for COVID-19
Medications have become available which decrease the severity of COVID-19 illness.
Read more about medications for COVID-19.
Last updated: 24 November 2023