Iranian refugee Hadi Mohammadi is working on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19 as a music therapist in a nursing home in Melbourne's north.
Mr Mohammadi told SBS News he is constantly worried about the health impacts of the virus on his family and his children's education.
"It is a very worrying time for everyone. We don't know what is going to happen," he said.
"But if we stick together and all do what the government is asking, things will get better. I feel lucky to be in Australia because many people are dying and the situation is very bad," he said.
Mr Mohammadi is not alone in his concerns.
Iranian migrant Ali Banan is still adjusting to a new life in Australia after moving to Victoria as a skilled worker last year.
Iran is one of the worst-hit countries by the new coronavirus in the Middle East. Source: AP
"Like other people, I'm concerned about this situation. I try to [practise] social distancing and I try to not touch many things in public. I try to stay at home," he told SBS News.
Mr Banan and Mr Mohammadi are two of 130 migrants and refugees who participated in a recent survey commissioned by settlement agency AMES Australia.
It found 77 per cent of respondents had high or moderately high levels of anxiety about coronavirus.
AMES Australia chief executive Cath Scarth said that number compared with 57 per cent of people in the broader Australian community who told a recent YouGov survey they were feeling the impact of the COVID-19 crisis.
"One of the reasons is their concern about not having enough information," she said.
Newly arrived refugees and migrants have reported high levels of anxiety over the COVID-19 virus crisis.
"Almost a third felt they didn't have enough information about the pandemic and so if you're not properly informed that's obviously when anxieties are likely to increase."
Ms Scarth said people who had fled war-torn countries or persecution were also more likely to be anxious, with strict lockdown measures triggering reminders of their past.
But the survey found overall, newly-arrived migrants and refugees are trusting of the Australian government's response to the pandemic and are very compliant to social distancing rules.
Ms Scarth said it showed migrants and refugees are keen to do the right thing by society in the face of a serious crisis.
"A large percentage were feeling very confident about things returning to normal and were optimistic about the future," she said.
"But things like feeling like they were informed, if they had enough information about how to look after themselves - these were areas where a large percentage of people didn't feel as confident as the broader community."
Nearly half of survey respondents cited language as the major barrier to receiving information while 31 per cent said they did not know where to look.
More than a third said they were mainly getting information on the crisis from the internet.
A man wearing a protective mask walks past an official medical advice advertisement by the Australian Federal Government regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19) Source: AAP
Mr Banan, whose first language is Persian, said he found infographics on social media and the Federal Health Department's website very helpful.
"I found all of the messages from the government by infographic and it's very easy to find, I saw some information in Farsi and Persian on Instagram and Facebook as well," he said.
Only 12 per cent of those surveyed said they were mainly getting information from media in their home countries.
People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others. Check your state’s restrictions on gathering limits.
Testing for coronavirus is now widely available across Australia. If you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms, arrange a test by calling your doctor or contact the Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.
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