COVID-19 Prevention

Microscopic look at virus with arrow pointing to human lungs.

About COVID-19

COVID-19 is the infectious disease caused by the coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2.

How COVID-19 spreads

COVID-19 spreads from an infected person to others through respiratory droplets and aerosols created when an infected person coughs, sneezes, sings, shouts, or talks. The droplets vary in size from large droplets that fall to the ground rapidly (within seconds or minutes) near the infected person, to smaller droplets, sometimes called aerosols, which linger in the air under some circumstances.

The COVID-19 virus is most commonly spread from an infected person through:

Respiratory secretions (e.g., runny nose, saliva) and droplets generated when you cough or sneeze
Close, prolonged personal contact, such as living in the same household or working directly with someone who is infected with the virus.

The virus may also spread through touching an object with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes before washing your hands.

Higher risk individuals

People of any age or health status can develop COVID-19. However, some people are at higher risk of becoming severely ill if they are infected with COVID-19:

Older adults (the risk increases with each decade, especially over 60 years).
People of any age with chronic medical conditions (e.g., lung disease, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease, dementia, stroke)
People of any age who are immunocompromised, including those with an underlying medical condition like cancer, or individuals taking medications that suppress the immune system, like chemotherapy.
Individuals with obesity and a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher.

Symptoms of COVID-19

Symptoms of COVID-19 range from mild to severe. Symptoms may appear 2 to 10 days after exposure to someone with COVID-19.

The most common symptoms include:

Fever (feeling hot to the touch, a temperature of 37.8 degrees Celsius or higher)
Cough that's new or worsening
Barking cough, making a whistling noise when breathing (croup)
Shortness of breath (feeling out of breath, unable to breathe deeply)

Other symptoms can include:

Sore throat
Runny nose (not related to seasonal allergies or other known causes or conditions)
Stuffy or congested nose (not related to seasonal allergies or other known causes or conditions)
Lost sense of taste or smell
Pink eye (conjunctivitis)
Headache that’s unusual or long lasting
Digestive issues (nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain)
Chills
Muscle aches that are unusual or long lasting
Extreme tiredness that is unusual
For young children and infants: decreased or lack of appetite

Children tend to have abdominal symptoms and skin changes or rashes.

If you develop symptoms, complete an online self-assessment tool, contact your health care provider for advice, or visit a COVID-19 Assessment Centre.

COVID-19 Symptoms (French) (PDF)

How to protect yourself

W - icon of person wearing a mask

Wear a face covering.

I - icon of a house

Isolate when you are sick.

S - 2 people with arrow between them.

Stay 2 metres apart.

E - hand, bubbles, water tap

Exercise frequent hand hygiene.

Wear a face covering

Face coverings that cover your mouth, nose, and chin help to prevent your respiratory droplets from your mouth and nose from reaching others or landing on surfaces.

Stay home when you are sick

If you have symptoms, you are required to self-isolate immediately and get tested for COVID-19.

Stay 2 metres (6 feet) apart

Physical distancing means staying 2 metres apart from people outside of your household.

Make changes in your everyday routines to minimize close contact with others:

Greet with a wave instead of a handshake, hug, or kiss.
Stay home as much as possible.
Work from home, if you can.
Limit grocery shopping to once per week or less, only visit pharmacies or banks when necessary, and place orders on the phone or online when possible.
Connect with friends and family by phone or online.
Avoid gatherings with friends and extended family and adhere to gathering limits.

Clean your hands frequently

Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds or clean with alcohol-based hand sanitizer (containing at least 60-90% alcohol).

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.

Practice good cough and sneeze etiquette

When coughing or sneezing:

cough or sneeze into a tissue or the bend of your arm, not your hand
dispose of any tissues you've used as soon as possible in a lined waste basket and wash your hands immediately afterwards

Clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces

Clean high-touched surfaces twice daily. High-touch surfaces include:

toilets,
sink tap handles,
doorknobs and handles,
railings,
light switches
counter tops,
phones,
desks and keyboards, etc.

If you want to disinfect surfaces, use an off-the-shelf disinfectant according to the instructions on the label and follow Public Health Ontario’s directions for cleaning and disinfection of public settings.

Ensure proper ventilation in indoor areas

Maximize ventilation by ensuring that heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are in good working order. Drawing as much fresh air as possible from outside will decrease the concentration of aerosols that may be suspended in the air and could contain the COVID-19 virus.

When possible, keep windows open (e.g., in a house or vehicle).

Download the COVID Alert app

With the COVID Alert app, you can:

Get a notification if you may have been exposed to COVID-19
Get advice on what to do next
Tell app users you've been nearby if you test positive for COVID-19, without sharing any personal information

If you receive a notification of exposure you should get tested for COVID-19 and you must self-isolate while you await your test results. For further instructions on what to do if you receive notification of exposure from the COVID Alert app, refer to the “You received a notification of exposure from the COVID Alert app” heading on our self-isolation page .

Resources

COVID-19 Vaccines for Ontario (français) - Government of Ontario
COVID-19 Vaccine Safety (français) - Government of Ontario
Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine in Ontario (français) - Government of Ontario
Public Health Ontario - Public Health resources are available in 20 different languages
Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) - Reference for public health measures
Government of Ontario
Health Canada
World Health Organization (WHO)