Recovery from COVID-19

Advice for returning to work, getting vaccinated and re-exposure to COVID-19.

Advice for ongoing symptoms

Fever or respiratory symptoms (cough, runny nose, sore throat or shortness of breath) that haven’t resolved or got much better could mean you are still infectious.

It’s important to stay home if you have ongoing symptoms, and if you must leave the house, wear a mask indoors and when on public transport.

If you are not getting better, or you are concerned, contact your GP in the first instance, or phone the [email protected] team on 1800 973 363.

Returning to work and other activities

If you have cold or flu symptoms or test positive to COVID-19 it is important to let your workplace know.

All workplaces are required under Work Health and Safety legislation to complete a COVID-19 risk assessment and depending on the risk workplaces may have policies in place and request you to work from home or take additional precautions in the workplace.

There is not a Public Health requirement to provide a negative test before returning to the workplace once your symptoms have resolved.

Public Health recommends that you not attend any listed high-risk settings (even for the purpose of work) until 7 days after you tested positive.

• High risk settings are hospital, residential aged care facilities and disability residential settings.
• Read more information about high risk settings and protecting people at most risk.

Re-exposure to COVID-19

Within five weeks of testing positive to COVID-19

You are not considered a close contact after you had COVID-19:

• if you live with or spend a lot of time indoors with a someone who has tested positive with COVID-19, and
• it has been less than five weeks since you tested positive for COVID-19.

After five weeks

You are considered a close contact after you had COVID-19:

• if you live with or spend a lot of time indoors with a someone who has tested positive with COVID-19, and
• it has been more than five weeks since you tested positive for COVID-19.

You should follow the simple steps for close contacts.

Testing after having COVID-19

If you develop symptoms of COVID-19 less than five weeks after previously testing positive for COVID, you do not need to get tested. You should remain at home until your symptoms are gone, or if you need to leave home wear a face mask.

If you are immunocompromised or at risk of severe disease and you develop symptoms of COVID-19 at any time, you should get tested for COVID-19 with a PCR test and discuss your symptoms with your medical practitioner.

Vaccination and boosters

You should get your COVID-19 vaccination even if you already had COVID-19.

It is recommended to wait for three months after a positive test result for COVID-19 before receiving your next COVID-19 vaccine dose.

The next scheduled dose should be given as soon as possible after this period. It is recommended that you still receive all your COVID-19 vaccine doses.

A gap between infection and vaccination is likely to lead to a better immune response and result in longer protection from reinfection.

If you have had COVID-19, you do not need to wait to get other vaccinations, like your flu vaccine. But you should not get any vaccine if you are acutely unwell, for example if you have a fever.

If you are concerned about any symptoms you are still experiencing after having COVID-19 speak to your GP or call Healthdirect on 1800 022 222 for advice prior to your vaccination.

See Vaccination for more information.