States brace for first COVID wave since axing of isolation rules

New South Wales’ Chief Health Officer (CHO), Dr Kerry Chant, addressed the State today to warn transmission of the virus is predicted to increase in the coming weeks, which is reflected in the latest surveillance report.

Ms Chant reiterates the importance of getting booster doses of a COVID vaccine and urges those most at risk, like the elderly, to plan ahead by talking to their doctor about available antiviral treatments to reduce the severity of infection.

It follows Victoria’s Chief Health Officer, Professor Brett Sutton, making a similar announcement last week, as Omicron subvariants BQ.1 and XBB are predicted to overtake BA.5 as the dominant variants throughout Australia.

These variants are behind an increase in cases and hospitalisations overseas, as you can catch these new variants even if you had a recent, or past COVID infection or vaccination.

So how do you protect yourself as new variants and a potential new COVID wave is on the horizon?

New COVID-normal way of life

From October 14, people who test positive for COVID no longer have to isolate.

While these decisions are not permanent and may be re-implemented in the event of a COVID-19 wave, these may not be put back in place in time for the next predicted spike.

In a press conference on Saturday, the Victorian Premier, Daniel Andrews, said fluctuations in case numbers would continue as we adapt to life with COVID and that Australia needs to carry on.

“We are treating it in a different way now because you’ve got to move beyond this,” he said.

“We’re going to see COVID numbers go up and down. Whether it’s a wave or whether it’s a spike, I’ll leave that for others to determine.

“This era of COVID exceptionalism has to end, and it has. National Cabinet has made those decisions.”

Preparing for a COVID-19 wave

If you live in residential aged care, it is likely your State/Territory or facility will have specific COVID protocols for visitors and staff, and you can read more about them in our article, ‘COVID restrictions are changing again, so what are the latest rules?’.

If you are living in the community, you may have a higher chance of contracting the virus, so it is important to know what to do to reduce your risk of getting COVID-19.

Practising good personal hygiene helps to limit the spread of germs and minimises the risk to yourself and others, so it is important to regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with soap and water, or an alcohol-based hand rub.

When out in public during a COVID wave, it is also important to wear a mask, especially if you are older and/or have other underlying health conditions.

Also, practise social distancing by putting a space of 1.5 metres between you and other people. You can read more about protecting yourself from the virus in our article ‘Keeping yourself healthy and safe during COVID-19’.

Having your essentials covered

In times of peak transmission or during a COVID wave, you should weigh up the risks of being in some high-risk public places like doctor’s surgeries or travelling on public transport.

Your usual essential services, like your doctor’s surgery, may be impacted by an outbreak, so preparing for this is important. You may need to discuss your options with your doctors about setting up telehealth appointments, like video calls or phone calls.

Utilise your personal connections, ask your support network to pick up groceries and consider asking them to help you access and set up telehealth healthcare appointments if you do not physically need to attend the clinic. Read more about accessing health care virtually in our article ‘How do I continue to get healthcare if I am self-isolating?’.

You should also consider:

• Maintaining an adequate supply of the essential products you need, like toilet paper and food, to avoid the supermarket rush
• Keeping at least one month’s supply of any essential medications
• Reducing the number of people entering and leaving your home

What if I catch it?

If you are unwell and are experiencing any cold or flu-like symptoms, you should seek medical attention, but it is important to let your doctor’s clinic know that you need to come in by calling ahead.

As mentioned, you can organise a telehealth appointment to consult with your doctor over the phone or call a locum doctor to come visit your home. It is important to say if you are experiencing any symptoms when accessing any healthcare service while experiencing symptoms.

If you live in residential aged care, you should let your facility know that you need medical attention and they should be able to arrange this for you.

Discussing the possibility of contracting COVID-19 with your doctor, ahead of a COVID wave, is important to ensure you are up to date with your vaccinations and establish whatantiviral medications may be available to you. You can learn more about antiviral medication in our article, ‘What COVID-19 treatments are available?’

Antiviral medications are effective at treating mild to moderate symptoms to reduce the risk of you being hospitalised or dying from the virus.

Your experience with COVID-19 could vary – it may be quite mild and bearable, or you may experience more severe symptoms that result in a stint in hospital.

COVID can also leave you with some longer-lasting symptoms, like fatigue, headaches and a persistent cough.

After contracting the virus, it is important to ease back into routines, maintain your food and water intake, and lean on your support network if you are still not feeling 100 percent. For more information about recovering from COVID-19, read our article ‘What COVID-19 can leave behind’.

National and local authorities will have the most up-to-date information on the COVID-19 situation in your area, but you can also contact the coronavirus Health Information Line which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and can be contacted on 1800 020 080.