Clinical guidelines

COVID-19 assessment, treatment and management

For information on the current status of these medicines see the Queensland Health List of Approved Medicines.

Note: Prescribing hydroxychloroquine

Under the Medicines and Poisons (Medicines) Regulation 2021, a prescription for hydroxychloroquine is not lawful unless written by an authorised prescriber.

Prescribers are authorised to prescribe hydroxychloroquine if:

  • they are one of the following specialist practitioners: dermatologist, emergency medicine physician, haematologist, immunologist, infectious disease  physician, intensive care physician, nephrologist, paediatrician, rheumatologist, specialist physician in general medicine, a dentist who is a specialist registrant in oral medicine; or
  • they are a medical practitioner or nurse practitioner who is continuing treatment with hydroxychloroquine that was initiated by one of these specialist  practitioners.

Medical practitioners and nurse practitioners who are continuing treatment with hydroxychloroquine must mark the prescription with the words ‘Continuing treatment’.

For information on TGA-approved medicines for COVID-19 please visit the TGA website. Further advice to guide their use in Queensland will be provided soon.

Care and advice for specific patient cohorts

Paediatrics

Preliminary evidence suggests children have a lower susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 than adults, play a lesser role in transmission, and have a much lower risk of severe infection.

Children, adolescents, and young adults with underlying medical conditions are an exception, with some studies showing that these patients have an increased likelihood of developing severe disease and complications when infected with SARS-CoV-2. However, these studies do not reflect the epidemiology related to the more recently emerged variants such as the Delta variant and the Omicron variant of concern.

The following resources are designed to support health services and healthcare providers in managing COVID-19 in children:

Maternity and neonatal

COVID-19 Guidance for maternity and neonatal services
This site refers to the Maternity and Neonatal Clinical Guidelines page and contains information specific to the care of mothers and babies during the COVID-19 pandemic including flowcharts for neonates of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 mothers, operational frameworks for COVID-19 maternity and neonatal services as well as videos and consumer information.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Consumers with a disability

Mental health alcohol and other drugs clients

  • Support for vulnerable people (PDF 181 kB)
    Advice from Assoc. Prof. John Allan, Executive Director, Mental Health Alcohol and Other Drugs Branch on how COVID-19 may affect people with serious mental ill health. The Mental health support webpage provides advice regarding services for people who may be struggling with their mental health in the context of coronavirus.

Domestic violence resources

Aged care sector

Residents of residential aged care facilities (RACFs) are at increased risk of acute respiratory infections (ARIs) including COVID-19 and influenza and are more vulnerable to serious complications if they do become infected. The single most important measure for preventing ARIs in RACFs is the avoidance of exposure.

Other guidelines

Last updated: 15 December 2023