As Australians start to set up their home offices and practice social distancing, deputy chief medical officer Professor Paul Kelly has issued some advice about what you should be doing to protect yourself from COVID-19.

No, it's not "panic-buying" toilet paper, but these simple measures will help keep you — and your family — safe.

1. Wash your hands

"Do it often and do it properly," Professor Kelly said.

You should wash your hands after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing; if you have had close physical contact with anyone who is unwell; after using the toilet; before and after eating and after you touch a pet.

Experts also say you should wash your hands after visiting public spaces to remove any germs you may have picked up from contaminated surfaces, such as those frequently touched on public transport, in shopping centres or in gyms.

You also need to make sure you wash them thoroughly, which means lathering them up with soap and scrubbing for at least 20 seconds (about the time it takes to sing "Happy Birthday" twice) under clean, running water.

A quick splash under the tap won't cut it. ( World Health Organisation )

2. Sneeze into your elbow

When you cough or sneeze, sneeze into your elbow. Then wash your hands.

COVID-19 can spread through contact with droplets from an infected person's cough or sneeze. Someone who is sick and coughs into their hand can easily spread the virus by touching surfaces which healthy people later touch.

3. Don't touch your face

"Don't touch your face, get used to not touching your face, even if it itches, please do not touch your face," says Professor Kelly.

"If you need to touch your face, wash your hands first."

4. Practice social distancing

Professor Kelly is urging Australians to keep "1.5 metres away from everyone whenever that is possible".

At home or with small groups of friends, that means avoid handshaking and other physical greetings; regularly clean shared high-touch surfaces such as tables, kitchen benches and doorknobs; increasing the amount of fresh air in your home by opening windows or adjusting air conditioning, and; buying what you can online so you limit visits to the shop.

The Australian Government also recommends you consider what travel and outings are necessary and go to open places such as parks.

If possible, work from home or hold meetings through video conferences and take your lunchbreak outside in the open air.

5. Stay home if you're sick

If you're sick, stay at home, insists Professor Kelly.

"We want people who also have been in contact and been known to be in contact with a positive case to stay at home for 14 days," he said.

"People that have come back from overseas travel, stay at home for 14 days. This is the way we are going to help each other to decrease the rapidity of the infection to flatten the curve."

Australian Government chief medical officer Professor Brendan Murphy said: "Nobody should be going to work or mixing with society or friends, or going out if they are unwell at all.

"Only go out when you're feeling well. Go to work when you're feeling well. Practise good hand hygiene and practise that social distancing at all times. This is critical now," he said.

COVID-19 is a respiratory illness caused by a new virus. Symptoms include fever, coughing, sore throat and shortness of breath. ( Suppled: Australian Government )

6. Avoid touching things

Try to keep your hands to yourself and avoid touching surfaces in public places, including public transport, shopping centres and gyms.

In your own home, make sure high-touch surfaces such as doorknobs and kitchen benches are sanitised regularly.

Make sure you clean and sanitise the things you use frequently — including mobiles, keys and wallets — often and thoroughly.

7. Stay informed about schools

Professor Murphy says the risk to children with this virus "is very low" and the Government's strategy for the next six months is to keep schools open.

"Only 2.4 per cent of all the cases in China in Hubei Province were under 19, and there have been very, very few significant cases," he said.

"We think keeping children at home when there is relatively no community spread is probably disproportionate given they probably won't stay at home anyway."

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Government would, on Tuesday, consider further advice prior to the school holidays.

Professor Kelly said closing schools caused a "major disruption to society and to families in particular.

"Those that get the illness are mainly mild, they don't appear to be transmitting between children: in fact, it's more likely that children will get it from their own parents and other people in their households," he said.

Professor Kelly said he had heard some "very disturbing things" about parents abusing teachers, and urged Australians to be kind to each other.

Schools in Australia are staying open at the moment. ( Getty: Klaus Vedfelt )

8. Don't hoard medicines

Earlier this week, pharmacists were told to dispense only one month's worth of prescription medicines and limit the purchase of some over-the-counter products.

Although there are no medicine shortages in Australia, unprecedented demand has put a strain on supplies, Professor Kelly explained.

"And I recognise again that people are fearful about issues, particularly those that might affect their own families," he said.

"Please do not buy more than you need for anything."

Pharmacists now need to place some medicines, including children's paracetamol, behind the counter to tackle panic-buying.

Stay up-to-date on the coronavirus outbreak Download the ABC News app and subscribe to our range of news alerts for the latest on how the pandemic is impacting the world

9. Don't panic-buy food

Don't buy reams and reams of toilet paper, don't stock up on a year's worth of canned goods, and don't strip the shelves bare in supermarkets.

"Please just take what you need," Professor Kelly said.

The Government is aware of shortages in some products across Australia and is working to address it, he added.

In the meantime, Professor Kelly reminded shoppers to be nice to staff and to leave enough on the shelves for other people.

You should have a few days' worth of supplies and to return to regular shopping habits to give supermarkets a chance to restock their shelves.

10. Avoid large gatherings

On Friday, the Federal Government banned non-essential indoor gatherings of more than 100 people, and today the Prime Minister announced tighter restrictions.

Mr Morrison said in gatherings of less than 100 people in an enclosed space, there should be four square metres per person.

That means in a room of 100 square metres, there can be no more than 25 people.

"Now, in addition to that, you should continue to practise wherever possible the 1m or 1.5m of healthy distance between each of us, to ensure that we are limiting the contact and limiting the potential for the spread of the virus," Mr Morrison said

"I think [these are] very practical and sensible arrangements, that venues and others and commercial premises and public premises, that we can manage.

It just simply means understanding how big the room is and then simply advising how many people can be in that room at any one time. And we would also be seeking the cooperation of patrons and others, to ensure that they can do the same thing."

Professor Murphy urged people to use their common sense.

"It's no point having a gathering of 20 people if it's in a tiny room and you're all together," he said.

Outdoor gatherings of 500 people are also no longer allowed, in a bid to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Schools, universities, airports, public transport, medical and emergency services facilities, aged care homes, jails, courts, parliaments, supermarkets and many workplaces are exempt.