Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The Virtual Ward is like a hospital-in-the-home, where at-risk patients can remain in their own home, receiving regular contact with nursing and medical staff via daily texts or calls to monitor their symptoms, progress, and wellbeing.
Low risk individuals with mild infections can be safely managed at home with simple measures to relieve symptoms. Regular monitoring ensures that people who become more unwell can be reviewed by a nurse or doctor and transported to hospital if required.
Our virtual ward staff will contact you either via a daily survey text, phone or video telehealth to check-in and review your symptoms, progress, and wellbeing. The frequency of check-ins may change depending on your progress. From time to time, you may also be contacted by a doctor via phone or video telehealth for review, particularly if you are experiencing worsening symptoms.
Staff may also contact you while you are receiving care from the Virtual Ward to discuss any ongoing treatment or testing, and to plan your safe discharge as you recover. You may also receive contact from our administration staff, pharmacist, or social worker.
Social workers can help with strategies to ensure you and your household are able to receive deliveries of groceries and or other necessities. Please also inform us if you have any issues with the supply of your regular medications.
From 14th October 2022, it is no longer mandatory to self-isolate at home if you test positive to COVID-19. However, if you have symptoms or have tested positive to COVID-19, we would still recommend that you:
- stay home to isolate until you no longer have acute respiratory symptoms, and you have gone at least 24 hours without a fever, without using fever-reducing painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen.
- avoid entering hospitals, residential aged care facilities and disability accommodation services for at least 7 days and only when you no longer have any symptoms
- consider wearing a face mask in an indoor setting and if you are unable to physically distance outside for at least 7 days after testing positive to COVID-19.
When it is time for you to be discharged from the Virtual Ward you will receive a text message advising of your discharge from the virtual ward. We recommend you make an appointment with your GP within 1-2 weeks afterwards to assess for the resolution of your symptoms.
There is no specific follow-up care provided from the Virtual Ward.
If you feel you are developing new symptoms, call 000 for further advice.
COVID-19 spreads from person to person through small droplets, aerosols, and through direct contact. Surfaces and belongings can also be contaminated with COVID-19 when people with the infection cough or sneeze or touch them. The risk of spread is greatest when people are close to each other, especially in poorly ventilated indoor spaces and when people spend a lot of time together in the same room.
Keeping your distance, washing hands and good respiratory hygiene (using and disposing of tissues), cleaning surfaces and keeping indoor spaces well ventilated are the most important ways to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
People who have COVID-19 can infect others from around 2 days before symptoms start, and for up to 10 days after. They can pass the infection to others, even if they have mild symptoms or no symptoms at all, which is why they must stay at home.
People who live in the same household as someone with COVID-19 are at higher risk of developing COVID-19. They could spread the disease to others even when feeling well.
You can call the Virtual Ward for advice, self-present to the Emergency Department or call an ambulance – please ensure you advise them if you are COVID-19 positive.
If you have symptoms or have tested positive to COVID-19, we recommend that you:
- stay home to isolate until you no longer have acute respiratory symptoms, and you have gone at least 24 hours without a fever, without using fever-reducing painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen
- avoid entering hospitals, residential aged care facilities and disability accommodation services for at least 7 days and only when you no longer have any symptoms
- consider wearing a face mask in an indoor setting and if you are unable to physically distance outside for at least 7 days after testing positive to COVID-19.
We recommend you contact the Outpatient clinic and advise them you are COVID-19 positive, they may be able to offer an alternative review via phone, video call or reschedule for when you are feeling better.