COVID-19 (coronavirus) advice for the UQ community - HEALTH - Testing
Should I get tested?
If you are unwell and experiencing symptoms consistent with COVID-19, contact your doctor, who most likely send you to be tested.
If you have been in close contact with a confirmed case COVID-19, do not come to campus, contact your doctor, who will help determine if you need to be tested.
Where can I get a COVID-19 test in Queensland?
If you have COVID-19 symptoms, you can get tested by a GP, a Commonwealth Respiratory Clinic, or at public and private hospitals, where fever clinics have been established.
General Practice
General Practice doctors, or GPs, can do COVID-19 testing or arrange these through private pathology providers, or they will refer you to another facility (i.e. a pathology collection centre) for a test. Some GP clinics are now also offering special COVID-19 testing clinics. Make sure to call your GPs office and let them know your symptoms before you make an appointment.
Respiratory Clinics
The Commonwealth has funded General Practices to establish specialised Respiratory Clinics for people with respiratory symptoms to be assessed and tested as required separate from regular GP waiting and consulting rooms. There is no cost to individuals attending these clinics. The two closest to UQ St. Lucia are located at PACE- Cornwall Street in Annerley and 2081 Moggill road at Kenmore.
Hospitals
Most hospitals can test for COVID-19 and some have fever clinics set up specifically for this purpose. This helps to reduce the potential spread of the virus and keeps the emergency department available for other emergencies. Unless you are very unwell or it is an emergency, it’s best to contact your GP before visiting a hospital. If you are very unwell or in an emergency, call Triple Zero (000) for an ambulance and let them know you have symptoms of COVID-19.
Fever clinics
Fever clinics are clinics for people who have symptoms of COVID-19. These clinics help keep people who may be contagious away from other areas of hospitals or health services to minimise risk to other patients and staff. You can find a list of fever clinics in Queensland on the Queensland Government website.
More information about testing and what to expect during and following COVID testing is available on the Queensland Health Website.
Can I visit any UQ campus or facility while waiting for COVID-19 test results?
No. You are required to self-isolate at home while you wait for test results which may take from one to several days. You must not attend campus or visit any UQ facility until you have your results. The people you live with and other close contacts do not need to self-isolate unless advised otherwise from the Public Health unit.
If the result is positive, you will receive a call from a public health doctor or nurse who will tell you what to do next. You will need to stay at home in self-isolation until you recover. You will be monitored by Queensland Public Health.
If the result is negative, your doctor or the clinic that tested you will let you know. You may return to work unless you are unwell for other reasons.
I have tested negative to COVID-19 –do I need a medical clearance certificate before I can come back to campus?
No. If you return a negative COVID-19 test result, a medical clearance is not required to return to campus but you should retain a copy of your negative test result for record keeping purposes. You must however, remain isolated until your results come through, as per current public health recommendations, and not return to campus until completely asymptomatic. You must not come to campus if you are still unwell with respiratory symptoms even if your test is negative.
I have tested positive to COVID-19 - do I need a medical clearance certificate before I can come back to campus?
Yes. If a positive test result is confirmed, you will need to obtain a medical clearance to return to work or study. Positive cases can return to campus when you have fully recovered and have met the criteria for clearance from isolation. If you have been hospitalised for the infection, you will have documentation from the hospital about the period of hospitalisation and likely period of incapacitation following discharge from hospital. Clearance to return to campus may also be given by the public health authority or the treating clinician. A declaration from you stating you have fulfilled the quarantine requirements as specified by the Public Health authority may also be needed.
I have been in quarantine – what do I need to do before I can come back to campus?
If you have completed a 14-day quarantine period (after returning from travel or being in close contact with a confirmed case) and did not develop any symptoms during quarantine, you do not need a medical clearance or a COVID-19 test in order to return to campus.
What is the difference between a close contact and a casual contact for assessing transmission risk?
Close contact is considered to be either:
- face-to-face contact in any setting with a confirmed or probable case, for 15 minutes or more. This is cumulative over the course of one week. It starts from 48 hours before the onset of symptoms in the confirmed or probable case.
- sharing of a closed space with a confirmed or probable case for a prolonged period (e.g. more than 2 hours). This is in the period extending from 48 hours before onset of symptoms in the confirmed or probable case.
Casual contact is defined as any person having less than 15 minutes face-to-face contact with a symptomatic confirmed case in any setting or sharing a closed space with a symptomatic confirmed case for less than 2 hours. A closed setting might include tutorial rooms or small offices.