Number of confirmed cases
| Location | Confirmed cases | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | 26,912 | 851 |
| New Zealand | 1,815 | 25 |
| Hong Kong SAR | 5,039 | 103 |
| Singapore | 57,606 | 27 |
| Malaysia | 10,276 | 130 |
| United States | 7,046,216 | 204,506 |
| United Kindom | 398,625 | 41,788 |
| Worldwide | 31,472,205 | 968,913 |
*Source: Google Statistics
COVID-19 Key Facts
The information listed below contains extracts from various reputable sources. For further information, please visit the websites listed under our Useful Links section.
“Older people (60+ years of age, or 50+ for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples) are more susceptible to getting sick with COVID-19 (coronavirus). The risk of serious illness, and in some reported cases death, increases with age, particularly those who have chronic illnesses or who may have a weakened immune system.”
Read more on Fact Sheet: for older australians on COVID-19
1. [¹]The highest risk factor for increasing severity of the infection is age. Case fatality increases significantly after age 60 and peaks at around 15% for those over 80 years of age.
2. Children can contract the virus, however they are more likely to be asymptomatic or to have only mild symptoms.
3. Co-morbidities that appear to be associated with susceptibility include:
- Hypertension
- Diabetes
- Coronary heart disease
4. There appears to be a correlation between smoking status and infection susceptibility.
Australia
*Source: Australia Government Department of Health
New Zealand
*Source: New Zealand Ministry of Health Manatū Hauora
Hong Kong SAR
*Source: Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention
Advice for healthcare professionals
Testing for COVID-19 is recommended for:
- travellers from overseas with onset of respiratory symptoms or fever within 14 days of return
- close contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases with respiratory symptoms or fever within 14 days of last contact
- healthcare workers with recent onset of respiratory symptoms and fever irrespective of travel history. Healthcare workers who have fever or respiratory symptoms should be assessed for testing on a case by case basis.
- patients admitted to hospital with acute respiratory illness or unexplained fever
- patients with acute respiratory illness or fever in high risk settings such as hospitals, aged care facilities, residential care facilities, boarding schools, cruise ships
- patients with acute respiratory illness or fever presenting with reported links to settings where COVID-19 outbreaks have occurred
- patients with unexplained respiratory symptoms or fever in Aboriginal rural and remote communities.
Do
- Wash your hands regularly for 20 seconds, with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub
- Cover your nose and mouth with a disposable tissue or flexed elbow when you cough or sneeze
- Avoid close contact (1 metre or 3 feet) with people who are unwell
- Stay home and self-isolate from others in the household if you feel unwell
- Touch your eyes, nose, or mouth if your hands are not clean
