Updated April 24, 2020 15:49:58

Photo: Each state and territory in Australia has different rules around coronavirus testing. (AP: Ted S Warren)

Coronavirus is dominating the news day after day and sometimes the sheer amount of information being released makes it feel a little overwhelming.

One of the areas where there seems to be a great deal of confusion is around testing.

Like, who should get tested?

And, what does a test involve?

Today, Australia is expanding to a uniform testing regime.

This is what this means for you.

I have symptoms, should I get a test?

Yes, is the short answer to this.

Up until today, this rule differed between the states and territories.

Breaking down the latest news and research to understand how the world is living through an epidemic, this is the ABC's Coronacast podcast.

But today, Federal Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said each state and territory would be adopting a uniform regime.

"In particular, National Cabinet was informed today that every state and territory has now broadened their testing criteria from today," he said.

"So that anybody with acute respiratory symptoms, cough, sore throat, runny nose, cold symptoms, flu-like symptoms, can get tested."

So there you go. If you have cold symptoms, you can get the test.

This is pretty big news.

Why?

Because even though some states had moved to a more generalised testing regime in recent days, i.e. not just testing those who had been overseas or in direct contact with someone who had, it will mean a massive increase in the number of Australians who are now eligible for a COVID-19 test

Photo: The Government has regularly released updated modelling on the spread of coronavirus. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)

What does a test for the coronavirus involve?

Ever had a test to see if you had influenza before?

If so, the test for COVID-19 will be familiar to you.

It involves having a swab pushed up your nose or in your throat, and it only takes a matter of minutes.

In some cases, a finger-prick blood test for coronavirus antibodies may be available.

Depending on where you go for a test, you may be asked to wear a mask, wait outside, or stay in your car.

North America correspondent James Glenday filmed his own experience getting a test, which thankfully came back negative.

Where can I get a test?

As Australia ramps up the testing to include a much larger swathe of the population, the question many may have is: where can I get a test?

This could be a fever clinic inside your nearest hospital, a drive-through facility or a pathology clinic.

It could also be your local GP's office.

Drive-through options have been established in Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, the ACT and the Northern Territory.

Call your local coronavirus hotline for information on where the nearest testing facility is.

OK, so why are we moving to a broader testing regime?

The Prime Minister called this move to a broader testing regime a "very important pillar" in the fight against the coronavirus.

"It's about consistency as we move into a new phase," the PM said.

That 'new phase' involves the expansion of coronavirus surveillance.

It means efforts to pin down more positive cases, even if they are not particularly serious.

Essentially, Australia now has reproduction numbers of the virus sitting below one.

So for every person infected, less than one additional person will then get the virus.

Find out more

This means, over time, fewer and fewer Australians will get infected.

Governments will be using this flattening of the curve as an opportunity to step up to more aggressive measures to seek it out.

This will be through random sample testing as well as testing people with symptoms.

As Professor Murphy put it:

"This will significantly expand the population of people tested. We're pretty confident that most of them will be negative, but this will give us a really broad reach of what we call passive surveillance."

"We're also looking at a range of active surveillance mechanisms to test even people without symptoms in a range of front-line occupations and a range of what we call sentinel situations, where we sample the population."

And while the prospect of having a swab thrust up your nose makes you squirm, the more Australians adopt this new testing regime, perhaps the more likely we can see a relaxation of those more onerous restrictions.

Infographic: Growth in known cases in key countries, on a logarithmic scale

This chart uses a logarithmic scale to highlight coronavirus growth rates. Read our explainer to understand what that means — and what we can learn from countries that have slowed the spread.

Back to Mr Murphy:

"National Cabinet is very clear that they want to be absolutely confident before relaxing any measures that we are in a position in this country to detect any community transmission of any significance."

If the prospect of a nasal swab causes discomfort, for those so inclined, it's worthwhile to take a deep breath and cuddle your pet (if you have one).

But remember, the more negative test results that occur, the more likely it is we can enjoy a return to some freedoms.

So if you have flu symptoms, go get tested.

Topics: health, diseases-and-disorders, covid-19, respiratory-diseases, government-and-politics, federal-government, epidemics-and-pandemics, epidemiology, health-policy, community-and-society, australia

First posted April 24, 2020 15:38:37