Coronavirus

What you need to know

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  What would it mean if COVID-19 becomes a pandemic?

  As the list of countries dealing with COVID-19 grows, an infectious disease expert says the virus outbreak is already likely at pandemic level – but that’s not clear because some countries are hiding the extent of their outbreak.

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  What is a coronavirus? What you should know about the new illness infecting thousands

  The World Health Organization stopped short of calling coronavirus a global health emergency, while officials here have said Canadians are at low risk of contracting the illness.

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  When does an outbreak become a pandemic?

  The number of novel coronavirus cases has reached more than 40,700, while the number of deaths stand at over 1,000. But the outbreak, which remains concentrated in China, is not yet considered a pandemic by the WHO.

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  What are the flu-like symptoms of the new coronavirus?

  International health experts have issued guidance on the likely symptoms of the new coronavirus and ways to stop its spread.

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  Can putting a city under lockdown stop the spread of the virus?

  Can keeping millions of people inside their own city slow the virus’s spread? Here's what experts are saying about the strategy.

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  A parent's guide to addressing children's anxieties

  Not sure how to address your children's anxieties and questions about the coronavirus? Here's some advice from public health officials.

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  Can face masks really protect you? We ask the experts

  Some concerned Canadians been strapping on surgical masks to go outside, but experts say that there’s no need for them.