You had some symptoms that could be coronavirus or a cold, so you went to get a test.
Now you've been notified that your test was positive.
It's official: you've got COVID-19. But what happens next?
While you probably first heard about your diagnosis from the screening clinic where you took the test, this will likely be followed by a call from your state health department once they've been notified about your case.
They'll want to talk to you for a number of reasons.
First of all, they'll be able to provide you with advice on how to manage your illness. They'll be keeping in touch with you during your mandatory self-isolation to see how it progresses — and to make sure you're following the rules.
Self-isolation means not only staying at home and isolating from people outside your household, but also isolating as best you can from other members of your household who aren't sick.
Your state health department will also want to know who you spent time with before you were diagnosed, but when you may have been infectious. This is contact tracing: they want to figure out who you might have passed the virus on to and where you got infected in the first place.
And there will also be an initial risk assessment to determine whether you're likely to have a mild, moderate or severe case of COVID-19, and hence whether you'll be able to recover from it at home or may need to go to hospital.
The good news remains that the majority of people with COVID-19 — around 80 per cent — are able to recover at home rather than requiring hospital care.
How to manage COVID-19 at home
According to Australia's National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce, adult patients with mild COVID-19 can be managed in a similar way to people with seasonal flu (although, as you're probably sick of us telling you, they're very different illnesses).
So expect to be told to rest and to drink plenty of fluids.
There are no treatments for people who have mild cases of COVID-19, said Nial Wheate, who is the program director of undergraduate pharmacy at the University of Sydney.
"The treatments we have (remdesivir and dexamethasone) are for people who are seriously ill and hospitalised," Dr Wheate said.
Any relief you can get is going to be purely symptomatic.
If you've got a headache you might take some paracetamol, said president of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Harry Nespolon.
"If you've got muscle aches and pains you might take some anti-inflammatories, which you can do, despite the early advice not to."
It may also be worthwhile to let your regular GP, if you have one, know you've been diagnosed with COVID-19.
They're "an additional resource to help take care of you", Dr Nespolon said, particularly if you have other medical problems that your state health department isn't going to be managing.
What to do if your symptoms get worse
If any of your symptoms are getting worse, it's important to reach out for medical assistance early, Dr Nespolon said, so you know what you should do next.
These could include worsening breathing problems or fever, but also more severe headaches or problems with your vision, as evidence is increasingly showing that severe COVID-19 isn't just a respiratory infection.
There have also been cases of people with mild COVID-19 suddenly deteriorating in the second week of their illness.
As Victoria's Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton said on Tuesday:
You can call the National Coronavirus Helpline on 1800 020 080, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Some states have their own contact numbers, like Victoria's coronavirus hotline 1800 675 398, which also operates around the clock.
Or get in touch with your GP, and of course, in an emergency situation call 000.
The end of your illness
While procedures can be slightly different in different states, most people with COVID-19 will get a second COVID-test on about day 12 of their 14-day self-isolation period to see if they're now testing negative for the virus, Dr Nespolon said.
If that's the result you get, you'll probably be advised when you can then return to normal activities, albeit still following all the other public health guidelines like physical distancing, cough etiquette and washing your hands.
Your state health department will be able to advise what the rules are where you live.
Some findings are now emerging that a few people are experiencing much more long-term symptoms, Dr Nespolon said.
These could include headaches, lethargy and ongoing muscle aches and pains.
People, particularly young adults who might not feel vulnerable at all, need to be aware there are consequences to getting COVID-19, Dr Nespolon said.
"It's important for people to realise that it's better to prevent it."
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