COVID-19

What is COVID-19

COVID-19 is a respiratory infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It mainly affects the airways and lungs but can also affect other parts of the body.

Signs and symptoms

The signs and symptoms depend on the strain of COVID-19. Because these change over time, some symptoms may be more or less common.

Most people who get COVID-19 will have mild to moderate symptoms that can be managed at home. However, some people may become seriously ill and need hospitalisation.

COVID-19 can cause any type of cold or flu symptom, including:

• cough
• breathing difficulty
• sore throat
• runny nose or nasal congestion
• headache
• muscle aches
• fatigue
• nausea or vomiting
• diarrhoea
• fevers over 37.5 °C

Older people may also experience:

• new onset or increased confusion
• changes in normal behaviour
• falls
• worsening of underlying chronic illness, for example increasing shortness of breath in someone with congestive heart failure.

If you're feeling sick, stay home and get tested. Find out how and where you can get tested on the Queensland Government website.

How it spreads

COVID-19 mainly spreads through respiratory droplets and tiny particles released when a person with COVID-19 breathes, talks, coughs or sneezes.

You can get COVID-19 by:

• being in close contact with someone who has COVID-19
• breathing in droplets or particles from an infected person especially indoor or poorly ventilated spaces
• touching your mouth, nose or eyes after touching contaminated items such as people’s hands, remote controls, phones, keyboards and door handles.

Who's at risk

Some people are more likely to get seriously unwell if they get COVID-19. This includes people who:

• are 65 and over
• have a weakened immune system
• have certain long term health conditions
• are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, especially if you live in a remote community.

Prevention

Vaccination helps protect people who are at higher risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19. Practising good hand hygiene and avoiding close contact with others when you’re sick can also help reduce the spread of infection.

If you’re 65 and over, having a recent COVID-19 vaccine halves your risk of dying from COVID-19.

From 1 October 2026, people at higher risk of severe illness can get free COVID-19 vaccines through the National Immunisation Program (NIP).

This includes:

• all adults 75 years and over (2 free doses per year, given around 6 months apart)
• all adults aged 65 to 74 years (1 free dose per year)
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 50 to 74 years (1 free dose per year)
• adults 18 years and over with severe immunocompromise (1 free dose per year)

If you can’t get a free COVID-19 vaccine, you can pay to get vaccinated privately. Talk to your health professional about the benefits and risks for your individual situation.

For the best protection, stay up to date with the COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for your age and health needs.

If you’re sick, stay home and protect yourself and others by:

• cleaning your hands often with soap and water or using a hand sanitiser
• sneezing or coughing into your arm or a tissue
• throwing away used tissues and cleaning your hands after coughing or sneezing
• not sharing cups, glasses, cutlery, lip balm, toys or anything that may have touched someone else's mouth or nose.

Where to get vaccinated

Use the healthdirect Vaccine Clinic Finder to find and book an appointment.

Who shouldn’t get the vaccine

Don’t get the vaccine if you’ve had a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis):

• to a previous dose of the same COVID-19 vaccine
• after exposure to any ingredient of the COVID-19 vaccine.

You can search for ingredients of any COVID-19 vaccine on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) website.

You can still get the vaccine if you’ve had a severe allergic reaction to anything else including other vaccines. If you have, make sure you tell the vaccination provider before you get the COVID-19 vaccine.

You can safely receive COVID-19 vaccines and most other vaccines, including the influenza vaccine at the same time.

Treatment

Most people who get COVID-19 can manage their illness at home and should start feeling better in about a week or so.

If you get COVID-19, it can help to:

• rest and drink plenty of fluids, such as water, to avoid dehydration
• take paracetamol or ibuprofen to relieve a high temperature.

If you’re at higher risk of getting a serious illness from COVID-19, there is antiviral medication available. Find out more about medicines for COVID-19 on the Queensland Government website.

If you’re concerned about symptoms or need access to antiviral medication, contact your GP or call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84).

Vaccine safety

The COVID-19 vaccine doesn’t contain the COVID-19 virus so it won’t infect you with the virus. The vaccine triggers our immune system to make antibodies to the spike protein of the virus.

Reactions to vaccines do happen and usually resolve within a couple of days. Most reactions are minor and temporary, such as a sore arm or headache. In very rare circumstances, there may be severe reactions such as allergies (anaphylaxis).

If you get a minor reaction, it’s a sign that the vaccine is doing what it was made to do. This is because vaccines stimulate your immune system.

When to get help

Call Triple Zero (000) and ask for an ambulance if you or someone else:

• are breathless at rest or are unable to speak in sentences
• are unconscious, faint or drowsy
• are cold and clammy or have blue, pale and mottled skin
• has pain or pressure in the chest, lasting more than 10 minutes
• is confused
• is passing no urine or a lot less urine than usual
• is coughing up blood
• has a severe headache.

If you're not sure whether to go to an emergency department, call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) or see your GP.

You can also use the healthdirect Symptom Checker.