Information on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
An important message to all our patients, their families and our staff
Information on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
To reduce the risk of the virus spreading to patients in the waiting room and to our staff, we are asking that anyone with symptoms please call the practice on 5545 1222 and do not attend the practice in person.
From 1st October 2020 Government funded Telehealth consultations are now able to be offered to patients that have been seen in the surgery within the last 12 months. We recommend patients call to speak to a receptionist to see if they are eligible for a Telehealth appointment with a GP.
Are You a Fence Sitter?
There is so much scientific information that has been drowned out by sensationalist reporting around the COVID-19 vaccine. The result is that people are confused and frightened, making decisions based on fear not fact. The following information is to help you with this decision.
Reasons to have an early COVID-19 vaccine:
- Winter encourages the faster spread of the virus
- If you are over 50, It takes more than three months to complete a vaccination course and reach maximal immunity. Waiting until the virus is spreading in the local community may be too late.
- Hotel quarantine is leaky.
- The community is becoming complacent about testing and social distancing
- Increasing numbers of travelers are returning to Australia with COVID-19
- Having the COVID-19 vaccine for the over 50s now does not preclude having another type of vaccine as a booster later in the year or next year.
- The Indian variant spreading in Victoria is more infectious than the previous variants that have reached Australia.
- The virus is never going away, and it is inevitable that in the next 1-2 years it will spread through the Australian community.
- The government is currently making plans to gradually open the international borders from the end of the year.
- COVID-19 death rate varies from 1.3/100 for 50–59-year old’s, increasing to 15/100 for over 80s.
- For every death from COVID-19 there are 5 times the number of people who develop permanent health problems and disability e.g., chronic lung disease, heart failure, kidney failure, chronic fatigue, or dementia.
Risks and side effects of the vaccine
- 30-40% of people, in the 24 hours following the vaccine, will get one or more of the following non-serious side effects: sore arm, headache, mild fever, sweats, shakes, muscle aches or nausea. These are not dangerous and resolve in 1-2 days and are produced by your immune system responding to the vaccine. These effects are more common in younger people.
- There is a rare potential side effect, called thrombotic thrombocytopenic syndrome (TTS), an autoimmune clotting disorder which occurs about 1/100,000 vaccines. It is less common in older age groups than younger. Having had a previous blood clot or family history of a clot does not increase your risk of TTS. To put this in context, your risk of death in a car accident in the next year is about ~ 1/20,000. Australian doctors have learnt quickly how to recognize and treat this condition such that now all but one patient who has had this has been successfully treated. The one death from this in Australia was an early case, making 1 death in over 4 million doses of the vaccine.
If you would like to speak to your doctor more about this or book for a vaccine, please call us on – 55451222
Dr Leeann Carr-Brown
Tamborine Mountain Medical Practice
More information. Please use the links below.
1. What is COVID-19 and why the concern?
COVID-19 is a new coronavirus not previously identified in people and was first diagnosed in December 2019 in China. It is a respiratory illness that causes similar symptoms to that of a cold or influenza. The concern with this new virus is that we still don't have a lot of information about it and the long term effects. Antibiotics are not effective against viruses.
2. People at risk?
In Australia, the people most at risk of contracting the virus are those who have
- Recently returned from overseas
- Been in close contact with someone who is a confirmed case COVID-19
- Healthcare, aged care or residential care workers
- You have lived in an area where there is a higher risk of community transmission, as defined by the local public health unit
3. Who is at most risk of a serious illness?
Some people who become infected may not get sick at all, some may experience mild symptoms from which they will recover easily, and others may become very ill, very quickly. From the information we have gathered so far the people most at risk are
- Elderly people
- People with compromised immune systems , such as people with cancer
- People with chronic medical conditions
4. How can we prevent the spread of the virus?
Practicing good hand and sneeze/cough hygiene is the best defence against most viruses.
You should:
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, before and after eating and after going to the toilet
- Cover your cough and sneeze with a tissue, dispose of tissues directly after, and wash hands with soap and water or use alcohol based hand sanitiser
- If unwell, avoid contact with others (stay more than 1.5 meters away from other people), stay home from work, and avoid going to shops or other crowded areas
- Stay at home if you are unwell
To ensure we keep our waiting room safe for all our patients to use for their general visits, all patients with any cold/flu like symptoms will be booked for a Telehealth consultation with their GP in the first instance if eligible. If the GP feels a patients needs to be physically assessed they will request the patient be assessed in their car in the car park at the rear of the surgery.
5. What do I do if I develop symptoms?
If you develop symptoms which include the following:
- Fever
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Runny nose
- Tiredness
- Shortness of breath
- Diarrhoea
- Vomiting/nausea
- Loss of smell or taste
Within 14 days of travelling overseas or contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 you should call the National Coronavirus Helpline (1800 020 080) or call your doctor for an urgent assessment.
If you develop mild symptoms:
- Isolate yourself from other people
- Wear a face mask, if you have one, if you need to go out in public or are around others
- Call your doctor for a Telehealth consultation and tell them about your contact and the symptoms you now have
If you have serious symptoms such as difficulty breathing:
- Call 000 and ask for an ambulance; and
- Tell the ambulance officers that you have had contact with someone that has a confirmed case of COVID 19
6. When do I need to self isolate myself?
If you have been diagnosed with Covid-19 or have been in close contact with a person diagnosed with Covid-19, you need to isolate as directed by your state or territory health department.
If you have arrived in Australia from 28th March 2020, all travelers are required to undergo 14 days isolation.
Other reasons you may need to self isolate, are if you are at risk of getting the virus, if you develop mild symptoms or if you have been tested for COVID-19. You will need to self isolate for 14 days or until the results of the swab are known. Self isolation means that you are required to stay at home and must not attend public places such as work, schools, university, childcare or shops. Only people who usually live in the household should be in the home. Do not allow visitors into the home. Where possible, get others who are not required to be isolated to get food or other necessities for you and leave them at your front door.
If I have a test, do I have to self-isolate?
Be prepared for the nurse or doctor you have seen to request you self-isolate. They may decide you need to be isolated more formally in hospital if you are very unwell, or their judgement may be that you do not require to undertake strict isolation. This decision will depend on your condition and risk of your infecting others. You should ask the clinician about isolation when you are sent for your test.
What happens if my test result is positive?
If the result is positive, you will receive a call from a public health unit which will tell you what to do next.
What happens if my test result is negative?
If the result is negative, your doctor or the clinic that tested you may let you know. Otherwise you should stay home until your symptoms have resolved. If the clinic has not contacted you regarding your results, you can call them and ask if your results are available.
7. COVID-19 Testing Information
Can I get tested for COVID-19?
In Queensland, anyone who has any COVID-19 symptoms, no matter how mild, should get tested immediately. It doesn’t matter if you have just one of these symptoms or a group of them, or whether you feel really sick or just a little unwell – if you’ve got any of these symptoms, you should contact your doctor immediately to get tested. Before your appointment, please call ahead and tell them about your symptoms.
My test was negative but I’m still feeling sick – should I get tested again?
If you’re still feeling unwell and it seems unusual or you need medical help to treat your symptoms, you should talk to a GP or call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) to get medical advice about your condition.
Where can I get a COVID-19 test in Queensland?
If you have COVID-19 symptoms, you need to contact your GP. You can get tested at a Commonwealth Respiratory Clinic, or at public and private hospitals, where fever clinics have been established and at private pathology providers.
8. Should I wear a face mask?
Face mask can help to prevent the transmission of the virus from an infected patient to others. Face masks can also be a useful measure to help control sustained community transmission.
9. Where can I get further information?
For the latest advice and information, go to the Australian Government Department of Health website at
Coronavirus (COVID-19) resources for the general public | Australian Government Department of Health
Coronavirus (COVID-19) | Health and wellbeing | Queensland Government (www.qld.gov.au)
and World Health Organisation website at Introduction to COVID-19: methods for detection, prevention, response (openwho.org)
For advice on Phone and Video consultations with your GP go to the RACGP website at https://www.racgp.org.au/FSDEDEV/media/documents/Advertising/Phone-and-video-consultations-with-your-regular-GP-Information-for-patients-FINAL.pdf
For advice on moles and spots and taking photos for your GP go to the Skin Cancer college website at https://www.skincancercollege.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Patient-Photo-Taking-Guide-PDFA-1.pdf
If you have any further concerns, please contact Sharon Hill our Practice Manager or speak with your GP when you next visit.
Kind Regards,
Doctors and staff at Tamborine Mountain Medical Practice