Tara Murray
A new campaign has been launched to encourage people with mild COVID-19 symptoms to recover at home.
The ‘Get the Right Help for Your Recovery’ campaign aims to support Victorians experiencing mild symptoms using measures such as rest, hydration and pain relief, so they can feel confident managing their recovery at home.
More than 550,000 cases of COVID-19 have been diagnosed across Victoria this year.
With only 0.71 per cent requiring hospital care, for many Victorians recovery has meant rest in the comfort of their own home.
For those that experience more severe symptoms, the campaign explains what signs to look out for and what to do if you need additional help.
The campaign – which will run across TV, radio, digital, social, print and outdoor media – also serves as another reminder to keep Triple Zero calls for emergencies so hospitals can help Victoria’s sickest patients.
The campaign will be translated into 41 languages, have versions targeting Aboriginal Victorians and reach people with a disability through Auslan translation and ads on Vision Australia radio.
Western Health, which runs Sunshine Hospital, recently called for the community to only attend its emergency departments if its a genuine emergency.
“It is important to attend emergency departments only when absolutely necessary,” he said.
“Due to extremely high levels of demand and a range of additional pressures on emergency departments across Melbourne from COVID, Western Health is calling on the community to support its emergency departments by only presenting when absolutely necessary.
Victorians are also being supported through the COVID Positive Pathways program – which has helped 545,000 people safely isolate and recover at home since its launch last October.
People who test positive are assessed via a survey, which helps determine the level of support they require based on their circumstances – with the majority of people being managed through the self-care and low pathways.
The program links COVID-19 positive Victorians with community health services, GPs and other providers depending
on the level of clinical care and support they need after testing positive.
Health Minister Martin Foley said they we’re helping people get the right care for their recovery and know what to do if they start to experience more serious symptoms.
“For most Victorians who catch COVID, what they’ll need is a few days of rest and some pain relief – not an ambulance or an ED.”
