Published on Friday, 27 March 2020 at 12:00:00 AM
What is Coronavirus (COVID-19)?
Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness where symptoms may include fever, cough or sore throat, and difficulty breathing. COVID-19 is a new strain of coronavirus that was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in December 2019. COVID-19 is closely related to SARS and in the same faimly of viruses as MERS.
For more information, please visit Healthy WA.
What to do if you have symptoms
If you have any of these symptoms AND have recently travelled overseas, or think you have been in contact with coronavirus or someone who has it, please do not come into the clinic.
Instead, contact us at Wirraka Maya by telephone on (08) 9172 0400
Or
You can arrange to be tested at Hedland Health Campus Emergency Department
It is also extremely important that people who are unwell and are concerned they have coronavirus should immediately self-isolate, and then seek further medical advice.
If you have a confirmed case, you need to isolate yourself to prevent it spreading to other people. Stay at home or in your room and do not go to public places including work, school, shopping centres, childcare or university.
For more advice, please call the Coronavirus Health Information Line on
1800 020 080.
What is Wirraka Maya doing in response to COVID-19
Wirraka Maya is following the direction from State and Federal heath agencies to provide an environment that is safe and healthy while providing essential community services.
To ensure the safety of our community, Wirraka Maya has implemented the following measures to reduce the risk of spread:
- Cancelled events until further notices
- Implementing social distancing measures
- Directing entrance to the Pharmacy via the side door to relief the amount of people in the clinic
- Informing and advising COVID-19 prevention measures via our website and social media channels
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At Wirraka Maya, our top priority is the health and safety of our staff and clients. As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves, we are ensuring that we have protective measures in place, including vigilant cleaning and sanitisation of our facility.
In addition to the continuous cleaning regime, we will also be closing our clinic everyday from 12:30pm to 1:30pm to clean and sterilise all general areas.
We are committed to providing everyone with a safe and pleasant environment. We urge everyone to engage in good hygiene to help keep the community safe.
Thank you for your cooperation.
- The Wirraka Maya Team
80% of people infected will have mild to moderate disease, which means:
- Not sick enough to go to hospital
- You can expect to feel:
- Short of breath, which will make you feel like you need to take a breath halfway through doing things like making your bed, or putting your clothes on. Then you get your breath back, and can keep going. Your breathing might feel tight, burning or restricted, but it's tolerable and you can keep doing everyday things, just at a slower pace.
- Persistent cough, which sometimes makes you have to stop what you're doing, have a gulp of water, and catch your breath.
- A fever, which will make you feel chilly when it's not cold, and sweaty when it's not hot. You might wake up quite sweaty, and have some shakes. You can put up with it by layering your clothes, fanning yourself, taking some paracetamol. Probably less than 38.5.
- Muscles aches and headaches, which will make you feel like you don't want to move around very much, and will improve a little but with paracetamol or ibuprofen. Your body might feel a bit weary and achy, but you can keep doing every day things, just at a slower pace.
- Rarely, people with COVID might also have a blocked or runny nose, scratchy throat, or upset stomach, but if they are your main issue then it's probably not COVID-19.
20% of people infected will have severe disease, which means:
- You need to go to hospital.
- You can expect to feel :
- You can't breathe properly. You are too breathless to have a shower, put your clothes on, or eat a full meal. It''s herd to finish a full sentence, you have to stop to catch you breath after four or five words. Taking a deep breath is hard work, and your best burns or aches every time you try.
- You have sever fevers. You shakes are so bad you can't hold a cuppa, your night sweats are so bad, sheets are wet and need changing more than once. You can't get warm even with a lot of layers, and then you can't cool down even with a cool shower and stripping off to your underwear. Probably more than 38.5.
- Your cough is intractable. It's hard to finish a sentence without a coughing fit and when you have a coughing fit, it lasts long enough that you have to sit down and catch you breath to recover from it.
Useful Resources
For information on how to help stop the spread of virus and what to do if you have symptoms, please see below:
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