COVID-19 | prahran-east-medical-centre

COVID-19 info page

Updated january 2, 2024.

Antivirals for Vulnerable Patients

If you test positive for Covid-19 and are either over 70 years of age; over 50 (or ATSI and over 30) and have at least two medical conditions associated with severe Covid-19; or over 18 and have severe immunocompromise, you are advised to take anti-viral medication. Please contact us immediately if this is the case. We can arrange medication delivery to your home, via telehealth. For more info see here.

Booster Vaccine (Pfizer)

We routinely have the the most up-to-date vaccine covering the Omicron and Delta strains. It's for anyone over the age of 18, and for children over 5 years with medical risk factors, as long as you have not had a Covid vaccine or infection in the last six months. It is particularly recommended for people over 65, plus people aged 18-64 who have medical risk factors. It covers children aged 12 and above and adults. Book an appointment with our nurse.

For children aged 5-11 with risk factors, ask your doctor or visit a state-run vaccination hub.

Free testing available by appointment

There are two types of test:

1. PCR testing - the default test we perform on site; free (bulk-billed), results take 1-4 days depending on demand, highly accurate.

2. Rapid Antigen Testing (RAT), cost is $25 out-of-pocket, results available within 15 minutes, less accurate. These are available upon request at the time of your appointment, subject to availability.

Anyone with symptoms should still get tested. Symptoms that warrant testing are a new onset of cough, sore throat, runny nose, loss of sense of smell or taste, shortness of breath, or fever (or symptoms of fever, like chills or sweats), where another cause for the fever is not obvious. For health and aged care workers and those with close contact with an affected case, testing is also performed for less specific symptoms, like headache, muscle pains, blocked nose, nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea.

PLEASE NOTE: Home-based Rapid Antigen Tests are recommended in the first instance for most people. See this link to the Victorian Government website for more info on this.

Choose between in-person, Video or Phone consultations

If you have any possible Covid symptoms, like fever, cough, runny nose or sore throat beginning less than 7 days ago, please do a Rapid Antigen Test prior to attending.

Following a telehealth consultation, the doctor may ask you to come in for an examination or procedure. If you have not attended our clinic in person in the last 12 months, there is no Medicare rebate for telehealth or phone consults, unless you are in isolation due to Covid-19 infection.

After booking a telehealth consultation, you will receive a link that will connect you to your doctor's screen when the consultation commences. Note that just like in-person consultations, at times the doctor may be running a little late for your appointment, due to unforeseen issues.

For those unable to use video conferencing, telephone consultations are still available.

Please note that there is limited seating available in our waiting room. Anyone in the waiting room must be free of new onset symptoms of the coronavirus within the last week or have a negative Rapid Antigen Test. They will be kept a safe distance apart.

Mask-wearing is now optional for most patients, but if you have symptoms, you still must wear a mask and use the hand sanitiser at the front door – as well as have a recent negative RAT..

The staff at Prahran East Medical Centre thank you very much for your kind cooperation and understanding.

Cost of telehealth and phone consultations

The fees for telehealth and phone consultations are the same as face-to-face visits and are time-based. See our Fees page.

Fees will be charged after consultations automatically, with Medicare rebates going into your bank account, arranged by us. We will call you for a credit card number prior to your consultation.

Consultations that involve phone and in-person components with the same doctor, on the same day, for the same problem are charged as a single consultation, for the total time taken.