Information, awareness, advice, concerns
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses. Some coronaviruses cause respiratory illness in people, ranging from mild common colds to severe cases of pneumonia, while others cause illness in animals only. Novel coronaviruses are new strains of the virus that have not been previously identified in humans.
Source: World Health Organization- Respiratory droplets generated when they cough or sneeze
- Close, prolonged personal contact such as touching or shaking hands
- Touching something with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes before washing your hands
Symptoms for COVID-19 are similar to those for influenza or other respiratory illnesses. The most common symptoms include: fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Less common symptoms can include extreme tiredness, sore throat, and runny nose
Most people (about 80%) recover from this disease without needing special treatment, but it can also cause serious illness. Those who are older and those with other medical problems are more likely to develop serious illness, which can include difficulty breathing and pneumonia; there is also a risk of death in severe cases
While we are still learning about how COVID-19 affects people, older persons and persons with pre-existing medical conditions (such as high blood pressure, heart disease, lung disease, active cancer, dialysis, or diabetes) appear to develop serious illness more often than others
Source: Public Health OntarioAs well, clean high-touch surfaces frequently with regular household cleaners or diluted bleach (1 part bleach to 9 parts water): such as toys, toilets, phones, electronics, door handles, bedside tables, and television remotes
For a list of cleaners and disinfectants effective against COVID-19, refer to the following Government of Canada resource: List of hard-surface disinfectants for use against coronavirus (COVID-19)
Source: Centers for Disease Control and PreventionIf you are seriously ill or experiencing severe symptoms (severe shortness of breath, chest pain, serious weakness or lethargy that impairs the ability to carry out your regular activities) call your healthcare provider for medical advice. If you have a medical emergency and need to call 911, notify the operator that you have or think you might have, COVID-19. If possible, put on a facemask before medical help arrives.
Sources: Government of Ontario, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention- an older adult
- has underlying medical conditions (e.g. heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, cancer)
- at risk due to a compromised immune system from a medical condition or treatment (e.g. chemotherapy)
- with fever (over 38 degrees Celsius) and/or new onset of (or exacerbation of chronic) cough
- who meets the COVID-19 exposure criteria where:
- In the 14 days before onset of illness, a person who has: travelled to an affected area OR has had close contact with a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19 OR had close contact with a person with acute respiratory illness who has been to an affected area within 14 days prior to their illness onset OR had laboratory exposure to biological material (e.g. primary clinical specimens, virus culture isolates) known to contain COVID-19.
- in whom laboratory diagnosis of COVID-19 is:
- inconclusive
- negative (if specimen quality or timing is suspect)
- positive but not confirmed by the National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) or a provincial public health laboratory by nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT).
- at risk due to a compromised immune system from a medical condition or treatment (e.g. chemotherapy)
Note: A close contact is defined as a person who provided care for the patient, including healthcare workers, family members or other caregivers, or who had other similar close physical contact or who lived with or otherwise had close prolonged contact with a probable or confirmed case while the case was ill.
Source: Public Health Agency of Canada
Positive laboratory tests at a non-reference laboratory require additional testing at a reference laboratory for confirmation.
Note: Nucleic acid amplification tests must be validated for detection of the virus that causes COVID-19.
Note: Laboratory tests are evolving for this emerging pathogen, and laboratory testing recommendations will change accordingly as new assays are developed and validated.
Source: Public Health Agency of CanadaOntario COVID-19 self-assessment
Government of Canada Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Outbreak Updates
World Health Organization (WHO) Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Advice