NAB worker sacked over false virus test

A National Australia Bank employee whose apparently fake coronavirus test result led to an evacuation at the bank's Melbourne head office has reportedly been sacked.

NAB's chief people officer Susan Ferrier emailed staff yesterday to tell them the worker at the Bourke St building had falsified the positive result for a COVID-19 test on March 17.

"We have since determined the testing information provided by the colleague appears to have been falsified," she wrote, according to The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

"The colleague subsequently undertook a test which was negative. Reflecting the severity of this matter, the colleague will not be returning to NAB."

Ms Ferrier apologised for the uncertainty and stress caused by the situation.

What are the symptoms of coronavirus?

Coronavirus patients may experience flu like symptoms such as a fever, cough, runny nose, or shortness of breath. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia with severe acute respiratory distress.

What is the difference between COVID-19 and the flu?

 The symptoms of COVID-19 and the flu are very similar, as they both can cause fever and respiratory issues.

Both infections are also transmitted the same way, via coughing or sneezing, or by contact with hands, surfaces or objects contaminated with the virus.

The speed of transmission and the severity of the infection are the key differences between COVID-19 and the flu.

The time from infection to the appearance of symptoms is typically shorter with the flu. However, there are higher proportions of severe and critical COVID-19 infections.