More households experiencing symptoms, fewer testing for COVID-19

More Australians reported household members experiencing cold, flu or COVID-19 symptoms, but fewer reported testing for COVID-19, according to survey results released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

David Zago, head of household surveys at the ABS, said: “Our latest Household Impacts of COVID-19 Survey, conducted between 10 and 30 July 2022, showed 42 per cent of households experienced cold, flu or COVID-19 symptoms, up from 32 per cent with symptoms in April 2022.”

”However, only 48 per cent of households had a COVID-19 test in the past four weeks, down from 62 per cent in April.”

“The percentage of households where someone had a positive COVID-19 test in July has remained about the same since April – 27 per cent and 23 per cent, respectively,” Mr Zago said.

The survey also asked Australians about the impacts of COVID-19 on their household’s working arrangements and school or childcare attendance.

“One in four Australians reported that the job situation of someone in their household had changed due to COVID-19 in the last four weeks – 23 per cent up from 18 per cent in April,” Mr Zago said. 

In July, fewer Australian households with children aged under 18 years reported their children’s school or childcare attendance was impacted by COVID-19 (15 per cent down from 33 per cent in April 2022). 

For the first time, the survey asked Australians about the impact of having a cold or flu on their household’s working arrangements and school or childcare attendance.

Of households that had symptoms in the past 4 weeks, 37 per cent reported that the job situation of someone in their household had changed due to having a cold or flu.

“One in five (21 per cent) households with children reported a child’s school or childcare attendance was impacted by a cold or flu,” said Mr Zago.

The ABS would like to thank the Australian households that contributed to these survey results.