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BENDIGO Health has tested a handful of people for coronavirus but results have been negative in all cases.
Rumours of positive coronavirus cases have been circulating in Bendigo for weeks.
Chief Medical Officer Diana Badcock said the hospital hadn't seen any patients with the coronavirus.
The virus is officially known as COVID-19.
She said all those tested had waited at home, and returned a negative result.
Dr Badcock said the hospital had a negative-pressure room on every floor.
As the virus was spread by droplet this could remove the air and protect staff going into the room, Dr Badcock said.
Dr Badcock said the hospital had areas which could be isolated from the rest of the hospital.
"This hospital was always designed with the idea of needing to quarantine certain people in numbers," she said.
"Certainly there area areas within the hospital that we can expand into, and that is part of our pandemic plan."
Dr Badcock said it was important to note most people wouldn't even know they had the coronavirus, like with many coughs and colds.
She said the message was to be "super clean", improving hand hygiene, cleaning surfaces to protect from bugs or organisms that spread through hands and mouths.
Dr Badcock said most cases of the virus would be managed at home, but if a person was unwell they would come through the hospital system.
She said the virus was an opportunity to talk about health, preventative care, and vaccines.
"Flu has killed more people already this year in various parts of the world than the COVID virus has," Dr Badcock said.
"So the importance of the influenza vaccine should be front and foremast of everyone's mind."
Read more:
If you suspect you may have coronavirus, or for any information, contact 1800 675 398.
Earlier
CENTRAL Victorians have been warned to practice good hygiene to avoid possible coronavirus infection.
It comes as the new disease spreads worldwide, with Australia's first two cases of person-to-person transmission recently confirmed.
Australia's deputy Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly has warned that washing hands will be crucial to avoiding coronavirus spread.
Bendigo health professionals have warned the community that good hygiene was essential to staving off the coronavirus.
No cases of coronavirus have been reported in Bendigo or central Victoria.
AAP reports Australia has had 34 confirmed cases of coronavirus, mostly Chinese tourists or residents recently returned from China.
The first Australian death took place on the weekend, when a 78-year-old man died in a Perth hospital. He had been on the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
Worldwide 88,948 have been diagnosed with coronavirus. More than 3000 people have died.
The coronavirus - officially known as COVID-19 - is part of a family of respiratory viruses, including Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
Common signs include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In severe cases the infection can cause pneumonia, kidney failure and death.
Bendigo general practitioner Doctor Kirby White said good hand hygiene was essential for the community, as the virus was transmitted by cough and sneeze particles.
Dr White said GPs were getting daily updates via the government from the World Health Organization on the coronavirus situation.
She said the coronavirus seemed to be highly contagious, but it didn't seem all that bad for younger people without a chronic disease.
Dr White said Australians who had travelled to mainland China or Iran were most at risk of having caught the virus.
She said the greatest percentage of deaths were among people over 80, or with a chronic disease.
"Everyone's jumping up and down at the moment, but if you're under 80 and you don't have a chronic disease, you're probably more at risk from this year's flu than the coronavirus," Dr White said.
Bendigo Community Health Services director of Primary Health Care Graem Kelly reassured the public that all actions were being taken where possible, as immediately as possible.
He said people just needed to remain vigilant to health warnings and instructions as they arise.
Mr Kelly said preparation was one of Bendigo's strengths in facing the coronavirus.
"Doctors clinics through their accreditation processes are required to have an internal pandemic plan, hospitals have pandemic plans, councils have plans associated with managing these outbreaks or conditions," he said.
"There's a lot of planning that goes on day-to-day.
"Where escalation occurs there's overriding protocol and direction given to the health departments in relevant states about how to manage it appropriately."
Read more: Pope tests negative to coronavirus
Mr Kelly said Australia's first person-to-person transmission, to a Sydney doctor, highlighted the risks of close association with people suffering from coronavirus.
"As far as the knowledge goes now, they believe it's droplet infection, which means it's got to be transmitted by cough, sneezing or sorts," he said.
"But it's highly virile, that's why they're now suggesting people wash their hands between contact as much as possible, not shake hands."
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Kelly said in the absence of a vaccine Australians needed to rely on things like quarantine, hand washing and not touching their face.
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