Am I run down, do I have a cold – or is it COVID?

While RATs are easily accessible (a five-pack costs roughly $24) and perform fairly well, Griffin says they can have limited sensitivity. Even with a negative result, people with symptoms should consider further RATs or additional PCR testing.

PCR tests, freely available through state clinics, are better than RATs at detecting COVID-19 early in the infectious period.

Presenteeism – when people show up at their workplace despite being or feeling unwell – may be increasing the risk of workers getting sick and spreading the disease, Moy says.

Griffin says when it comes to COVID-19 testing, our perception of risk is not quite high enough.

Regular testing is crucial if you have multiple risk factors and want the best chance of avoiding serious progression of the disease through antiviral treatments.

Antiviral medications Lagevrio and Paxlovid – effective in reducing hospital admissions for people with COVID-19 who are at high risk of progressing to severe disease – were provisionally approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration in January.

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Moy says they must be administered quickly if they are to be effective. The National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce advises that most antiviral tablets should be taken within five days of symptoms appearing. Paxlovid is yet to be listed but Lagevrio is listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and can be prescribed by a GP.

Those who are immunosuppressed, unvaccinated, partially vaccinated or in higher-risk categories should frequently test, Moy says, because of the potential of these new therapies to curb ICU admissions and potential deaths.

Regardless of your situation, the message is clear: next time you’re wondering whether a case of the sniffles warrants a test, it probably does.

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