Who is at risk of being infected with COVID-19?
The risk of infection increases:
- if you live with someone who has COVID-19 (household contact)
- if you spent a long time with someone who has COVID-19 and interacted closely with them (for example, you stayed overnight at their house)
- if you were indoors with someone who has COVID-19 (the risk is lower if you were outdoors)
- if you or the person with COVID-19 were not wearing face masks (the risk is lower if you were both wearing a face mask)
What should I do if I have been exposed to COVID-19?
There are simple steps you can take to reduce to reduce the risk to others:
- closely monitor for COVID-19 symptoms
- if you become unwell, get tested and stay home
- if you can, wear a mask when in indoor spaces that are not your own home and on public transport
- consider testing regularly for COVID-19 using a rapid antigen testing (RAT)
- this may help early detection of infection and is important if you are someone who is at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19, or
- have close contact with people who are at higher risk of severe illness
- avoid visiting people
- at higher risk of severe illness
- in hospital
- an aged care facility, or
- disability care facility.
If you cannot delay visits to a high-risk setting, take a rapid antigen test (RAT) before you go and contact the facility to get approval to enter.
If you work in a high-risk setting, like a hospital, aged or disability care facility or provide in-home aged or disability care services, follow the policy of your employer about any steps you need to take
How long am I at risk for?
After being exposed to someone with COVID-19, you are at risk of developing it for 14 days.
The majority of people who develop COVID-19 will do so in the first 7 days after they are exposed.
However, some people still develop COVID-19 between day 8 and 14.
Counting days since exposure
When counting days since exposure, you must include day zero (0).
Day zero is the last day of your potential exposure to a person with COVID-19.
If you are in a household with someone who has COVID-19 your last date of exposure will be the date of the test of the last time someone in the household tested positive for COVID-19.
How do I get to a COVID-19 test?
See COVID-19 testing.
