Question

Using a timeline, explain how the criteria for who is being tested for COVID-19 has changed with the main infection source (e.g. overseas infection, cruise ship infection, direct contact with known COVID-19 case to community cases). in Australia

Answer 1

The coronavirus disease started in December 2019 in China and soon spread overseas. It is caused by SARS-CoV 2 virus. The symptoms range from mild flu like symptoms to breathing difficulties and respiratory failure.
It is a highly contagious disease and testing remains the key to contain the disease by isolating the infected people.  As the disease did not originated in Australia and the overseas travellers were the main source of infection, the initial testing was confined to the air travellers, cruise ships and those travelled through road. The spread of disease was at stage 1 during this time. As the disease began to spread and entered stage 2 it was recommended to test all those who had a recent travel history to the infected countries. This was followed by tracing the direct contacts of the infected and testing them.
The disease then entered stage 3 and the source of infection was untraceable. The community spread started and many people with no travel history or contact to infected people were infected by the disease. This led to widespread testing for virus throughout the country. Healthcare workers and other service providers such as supermarket workers, salon workers and vendors had a compulsory testing. Any individual who had cough, cold, fever, throat infection or difficulty breathing for more than 5-7 days needs to get tested for coronavirus.

The disease has not entered stage 4 due to extensive testing snd early interventions in Australia.