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Frequently Asked Questions
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About COVID-19
Q: What is 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19)?
A: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a new virus. Coronaviruses are a large group of viruses, with six of these viruses known to cause a range of illnesses from the common cold to the more serious Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). The new virus and disease were unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. COVID-19 is now a pandemic affecting most countries globally.
Q: How does the virus spread?
A: The virus is spread from person to person through respiratory droplets, which are released when an infected person coughs or sneezes. A person can get infected if they inhale these droplets or if they touch a surface or object (like a door handle or table) that has the virus on it and then touch their mouth, nose or eyes. Generally, the virus is spread when a person is in close contact with an infected person. There have been reported outbreaks of COVID-19 in some closed settings, such as restaurants, nightclubs, places of worship or places of work where people may be shouting, talking, or singing. In these outbreaks, aerosol transmission, particularly in these indoor locations where there are crowded and inadequately ventilated spaces where infected persons spend long periods of time with others, cannot be ruled out.
Q: What are the symptoms?
A: The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are: fever, dry cough, difficulty breathing, fatigue (extreme tiredness), sore throat Some patients may have aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, or diarrhea. Most people experience mild, flu-like symptoms. Some people become infected but don’t develop any symptoms and don’t feel unwell. Most people (about 80%) recover from the disease without needing hospital treatment. Around one out of every five people who get COVID-19 becomes seriously ill and develops difficulty breathing. Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems or diabetes, are more likely to develop serious illness. People with fever, cough, and difficulty breathing should seek medical attention.
Q: How long does it take for a person to get sick after they are infected with the virus (the incubation period)?
A: The incubation period is the time between infection and the onset of clinical symptoms of the disease. The incubation period for COVID-19 is currently estimated at between one to 14 days, though symptoms typically start around five to six days after a person is infected with the virus. While people are most infectious when they experience (flu-like) symptoms, it may be possible that people can transmit the virus without having any symptoms or before the symptoms appear. However, investigations are ongoing to determine this. If people infected with COVID-19 are tested and diagnosed quickly and there is a rapid public health response undertaken to reduce the spread of the virus, the chance of further continued spread of the virus in a community is likely to be low.
Q: How serious is COVID-19?
A: Like other respiratory illnesses, infection with COVID-19 can cause mild symptoms including a runny nose, sore throat, cough, and fever. For some people, it can be more severe and can lead to pneumonia or breathing difficulties. More rarely, the disease can be fatal. Older people and people with pre-existing medical conditions (such as diabetes and heart disease) appear to be more vulnerable to becoming severely ill with the virus. Most people (about 80%) recover from the disease without needing hospital treatment. Around one out of every five people who get COVID-19 becomes seriously ill and develops difficulty breathing.
Q: What should I do if I think I might have COVID-19?
A: If you are sick and think you have symptoms of COVID-19, Call 158, the COVID-19 Call Centre. The line operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and is free of charge, or visit your nearest fever clinic. For more information on clinics go to Fever Clinics tab below. Avoid crowds or traveling on public transport, to help prevent the spread of the virus.
Q: Should I worry about COVID-19?
A: A person with COVID-19 anywhere in the world is a risk everywhere in the world. Until there is an effective vaccine or treatment for COVID, we must stay alert and adapt to a new way of living. Illness due to COVID-19 infection is generally mild, especially for children and young adults. However, it can cause serious illness: about 1 in every 5 people who catch it need hospital care. It is therefore quite normal for people to worry about how the COVID-19 outbreak will affect them and their loved ones. We can channel our concerns into actions to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities. Firstly, among these actions is regular and thorough hand-washing and good respiratory hygiene. Secondly, keep informed and follow the advice of the Ministry of Health and Medical Services including any restrictions put in place on travel, movement, and gatherings.
Q: Who is at risk of developing severe illness?
A: Everyone is at risk of catching COVID-19, but people who are most at risk of suffering serious illness are people over 60 years of age, and people with underlying medical problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, high blood pressure, heart and lung problems, or cancer. However, anyone can catch COVID-19 and become seriously ill.
Q: Can the virus that causes COVID-19 be transmitted through the air?
A: Studies to date suggest that the virus that causes COVID-19 is mainly transmitted through contact with respiratory droplets rather than through the air. However, there have been reported outbreaks of COVID-19 in some closed settings, such as restaurants, nightclubs, places of worship or places of work where people may be shouting, talking, or singing. In these outbreaks, aerosol transmission, particularly in these indoor locations where there are crowded and inadequately ventilated spaces where infected persons spend long periods of time with others, cannot be ruled out. This is why it is always important to stay at least 1.5 metres from others, cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze with a bent elbow or tissue, avoid crowds, and limit your time in enclosed public spaces.
Q: How long does the virus survive on surfaces?
A: The most important thing to know about coronavirus on surfaces is that they can easily be cleaned with common household disinfectants that will kill the virus. A 1:10 dilution of household bleach is an effective cleaning agent. Studies have shown that the coronavirus can survive for up to 72 hours on plastic and stainless steel, less than 4 hours on copper, and less than 24 hours on cardboard. Regularly clean surfaces and objects that are frequently touched, using a disinfectant. Clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. Avoid touching your eyes, mouth, or nose.
Q: Can COVID-19 be caught from a person who has no symptoms?
A: Yes, infected people can transmit the virus both when they have symptoms, and when they don’t have symptoms. This is why it is important that all people who are infected are identified by testing, isolated, and, depending on the severity of their disease, receive medical care. Even people confirmed to have COVID-19 but who do not have symptoms should be isolated to limit their contact with others. These measures break chains of transmission.
This is why it is always important to stay at least 1.5 metres from others, cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze with a bent elbow or tissue, clean your hands regularly, avoid crowds, limit your time in enclosed public spaces, and stay home if you become unwell or if asked.
Q: Can I catch COVID-19 from the faeces of someone with the disease?
A: The risk of catching COVID-19 from the faeces of an infected person appears to be low. While initial investigations suggest the virus may be present in faeces in some cases, spread through this route is not a main feature of the outbreak. WHO is assessing ongoing research on the ways COVID-19 is spread and will continue to share new findings. Because this is a risk, however, it is another reason to clean hands regularly, after using the bathroom and before eating.
Q: Can I catch COVID-19 from my pet?
A: COVID-19 is mainly spread through droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or speaks. There is no evidence that the virus can spread to people from the skin, fur, or hair of pets. A small number of pets worldwide, including cats and dogs, have been reported to be infected with the virus, mostly after close contact with people with COVID-19. To protect yourself, clean your hands frequently and thoroughly after handling animals, their food or supplies, as well as avoiding kissing, licking or sharing food. WHO continues to monitor the latest research on this and other COVID-19 topics and will update as new findings are available.
Q: Is there a treatment for the disease caused by COVID-19?
A: To date, there is no specific medicine recommended to prevent or treat COVID-19. However, those infected with COVID-19 should receive appropriate care to relieve and treat symptoms, and those with severe illness should receive optimized supportive care. Supportive care (e.g. supportive therapy and monitoring – oxygen therapy, fluid management, and antivirals) can be highly effective for those infected. It is not clear whether people who have had COVID-19 have immunity from getting it again. There is no evidence that those who have antibodies are prevented from a second infection.
Prevention
Prevention
Q: What can I do to prevent the spread of disease?
A: To help minimize the spread COVID-19:
● Clean your hands frequently and thoroughly. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer or wash your hands with soap and water. If you use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, make sure you use and store it carefully.
● Keep alcohol-based hand sanitizers out of children’s reach.
● Avoid touching your eyes, mouth, and nose immediately after using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, as it can cause irritation.
● Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
● Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
● Stay home when you are sick.
● Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
● Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces every day. High touch surfaces include counters, tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, toilets, phones, keyboards, tablets, and bedside tables.
● Wash your hands often with soap and water.
● Download the careFIJI app and keep your Bluetooth turned on. Why? The FIJI app helps speed up contact tracing. careFIJI is a mobile application (app) by the Fijian Government under the digitalFIJI initiative to assist the Ministry of Health and Medical Services to streamline and speed up its manual contact tracing efforts. By opting into this voluntary initiative, Fijians can help stop the spread of COVID-19 and save lives by harnessing the power of technology –– all while maintaining their absolute security and privacy. Using Bluetooth technology that does not capture any location or GPS information, careFIJI is based on the TraceTogether mobile application developed by the Singaporean Government and mirrors the COVIDSAFE app widely adopted by millions of Australians in their own fight to eliminate COVID-19.
Q: How can I help protect myself?
A: Stay aware of the latest information on the COVID-19 outbreak, available on the WHO website, and through the Ministry of Health and Medical Services. This is a rapidly evolving situation so check regularly for the latest news. You can reduce your chances of being infected or spreading COVID-19 by taking some simple precautions. It is important for everyone to practice these simple steps even when there are no people infected with COVID-19 in Fiji:
● Regularly and thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water or clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub. Why? Washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rub kills viruses that may be on your hands.
● Keep at least 1.5 metres distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing. Avoid shaking hands, kissing, or hugging. Why? When someone coughs or sneezes they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain the virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing has the disease.
● Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth. Why? Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose, or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and can infect you and make you sick.
● Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately. Why? Droplets spread viruses. By following good respiratory hygiene you protect the people around you from viruses such as cold, flu, and COVID-19.
● Regularly clean surfaces and objects that are frequently touched with disinfectant. Why? People infected with COVID-19 may leave infected droplets on objects and surfaces when they sneeze, cough on, or touch surfaces, such as tables, doorknobs, and handrails. Other people may become infected by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, noses, or mouths before cleaning their hands.
● Avoid crowds, and limit your time in enclosed spaces. Why? Aerosol transmission of COVID-19 cannot be ruled out, particularly in indoor locations where there are crowded and inadequately ventilated spaces where infected persons spend long periods of time with others. These include restaurants, nightclubs, places of worship or places of work where people may be shouting, talking, or singing.
Q: Who is most at risk of suffering serious illness due to COVID-19, and how can they protect themselves?
A: People who are most at risk (people over 60 years of age, and people with underlying medical problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, high blood pressure, heart and lung problems, and cancer, or who have recently had surgery and should take extra precautions by:
● avoiding large gatherings that could put them at risk of being infected with the virus
● ensuring that they have enough supply of routine medications, food and other household supplies in case they need to stay at home for up to 14 days
● talking to your doctor today about how to best prepare for COVID-19
Q: Does current evidence recommend the use of facemasks in Fiji to prevent COVID-19?
A: Currently the Government does not recommend the use of fabric masks by the general public. However, there may be certain situations where you are required or recommended to wear a mask. These situations are detailed in the Fijian COVID Safe Economic Recovery Framework (Click here for the Framework)
Q. Is there a vaccine against COVID-19?
A: No. There are currently no vaccines against coronaviruses, including COVID-19. That is why it is very important to prevent infection or contain further spread after an infection with the COVID-19.
Q. Am I protected against COVID-19 if I had the influenza vaccine this year?