What is COVID-19?
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause respiratory infections. These can range from the common cold to more serious diseases. COVID-19 is a new disease that has not been previously identified in humans. It was first reported in December 2019 in Wuhan City in China.
Symptoms of COVID-19
COVID-19 symptoms are similar to a cold or flu. Symptoms may take up to 14 days to appear after exposure to COVID-19. Symptoms have included:
- fever
- cough
- difficulty breathing
How to Protect yourself and others from getting sick?
To prevent the spread of viruses, practise good hygiene and social distancing. Good hygiene includes:
- covering your coughs and sneezes with your elbow or a tissue
- disposing of tissues properly
- washing your hands often with soap and water, including before and after eating and after going to the toilet
- using alcohol-based hand sanitisers
- cleaning and disinfecting surfaces
- if you are sick, avoiding contact with others and staying more than 1.5 metres away from people
- cleaning and sanitising frequently used objects such as mobiles, keys and wallets
If you think you have COVID-19
If you are sick and think you have symptoms of COVID-19, seek medical attention, call your health care provider or public health authority
Tell the doctor about:
- your symptoms
- any travel history
- any recent contact with someone who has COVID-19
Getting tested
Your doctor will tell you if you should be tested. They will arrange for the test. You will only be tested if your doctor decides you meet the criteria.
Treatment
There is no treatment for COVID-19, but medical care can treat most of the symptoms. Antibiotics do not work on viruses.
Current situation
Area in Canada with cases of COVID-19 as of March 17, 2020, 10:30 am EST
| Province, territory or other | Number of confirmed cases | Number of probable cases |
|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | 103 | 0 |
| Alberta | 74 | 0 |
| Saskatchewan | 2 | 5 |
| Manitoba | 7 | 0 |
| Ontario | 177 | 0 |
| Quebec | 50 | 0 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 0 | 1 |
| New Brunswick | 2 | 5 |
| Nova Scotia | 0 | 5 |
| Prince Edward Island | 1 | 0 |
| Repatriated travellers | 8 | 0 |
| Total cases | 424 | 16 |
Information on demographics, symptoms and outcomes is available for 158 cases.
Of these cases:
- onset of illness occurred between January 15 and March 15, 2020
- 51% of cases are female
- 31% of cases are 60 years old and over
- 13% of cases have been hospitalized
- 4 people have died of COVID-19
- 74% of cases are travellers and 6% are close contacts of travellers
Find public health authority in your province, please visit:
For more information on COVID-19 virus, please visit Government of Canada Public Health:
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html