Coronavirus Facts from the Ontario Ministry of Health
Coronavirus Facts from the Ontario Ministry of Health
Symptoms
Symptoms range from common to severe respiratory illnesses and include:
- fever
- cough
- difficulty breathing
- pneumonia and kidney failure
In severe cases, death can be an outcome.
How to protect yourself
To reduce exposure to and transmission of a range of illnesses, including coronaviruses, you should follow usual health precautions such as:
- washing your hands often
- avoiding contact with people who are sick
- practising proper cough and sneeze etiquette
If you are travelling to an area known to have cases of coronavirus, be sure to avoid:
- high-risk areas such as farms, live animal markets and areas where animals may be slaughtered
- contact with animals (alive or dead), including pigs, chickens, ducks and wild birds
- surfaces with animal droppings or secretions on them.
Feeling sick after travel
If symptoms of an existing medical condition worsen while travelling, and you are still sick when you return to Canada:
- tell a flight attendant or a border services officer when you arrive so they can decide whether you need further medical assessment
If you are sick after you return to Canada:
- see a health care provider and tell them the countries you visited, and if you received medical care (for example, blood transfusions, injections, dental care or surgery)
If you were sick while you were away:
- see a health care provider and tell them the countries you visited, and if you received medical care (for example, blood transfusions, injections, dental care or surgery)
- tell a flight attendant or a border services officer when you arrive. They will decide whether you need further medical assessment
If you are travelling to another country:
Treatment
There are no specific treatments for coronaviruses, and there is no vaccine that protects against coronaviruses. Most people with common human coronavirus illness will recover on their own.
If symptoms feel worse than a standard cold, see your health care practitioner. They can relieve symptoms by prescribing a pain or fever medication.
You should also:
- drink plenty of fluids
- get rest and sleep as much as possible
- try a humidifier or a hot shower to help with a sore throat or cough
Among the suggestions provided by the Chief Medical Officer of Health are:
- get a yearly influenza vaccination, available from clinics and pharmacies (for flu only);
- wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer;
- cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze;
- if you don’t have a tissue, sneeze or cough into your sleeve or arm; and,
- if you or your family members are ill, stay home.
At this time, public health officials advise that the risk to the public remains low. As a result, the Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health and Toronto Public Health are not advising any additional precautions such as the wearing of medical masks.
We will continue to monitor public health authorities on a daily basis. We will continue to keep you updated and will advise should any additional precautions become necessary.
If you have concerns about your health, please contact a medical practitioner or your municipal or regional Public Health authority.
Thank you.
For more information:
Ontario Ministry of Health: www.ontario.ca/coronavirus (Updated each weekday)
Toronto Public Health: www.toronto.ca/coronavirus
Government of Canada Travel Advice and Advisory: https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories/pneumonia-china
U.S. Centers for Disease Control: 2019 Novel Coronavirus, Wuhan, China
World Health Organization: Coronavirus