This story was last updated on March 23 at 12:45 p.m.:

What’s the government doing to keep me safe during the novel coronavirus outbreak? What do I do if I think I have COVID-19? What’s the mortality rate of the virus? Here’s everything you need to know about the virus:

What are the symptoms?

According to the World Health Organization, the most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, tiredness and dry cough. Some patients may have aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat or diarrhea.

These symptoms are usually mild and begin gradually. Some people become infected but don’t develop any symptoms and don’t feel unwell, according to the WHO.

Most people (about 80 per cent) recover from the disease without needing special treatment, the WHO reports. Around one out of every six people who gets COVID-19 becomes seriously ill and develops difficulty breathing.

Older people — and those with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure — heart problems or diabetes, are more likely to develop serious illness.

What should I do if I have symptoms?

Consult the self-assessment tool on the Ontario government website. Contact Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000 or your local public health unit.

Don’t visit an assessment centre unless you have symptoms. Do not call 911 unless it is an emergency.

Ontario’s chief medical officer of health says unless people have severe symptoms or a medical emergency, simply stay at home while waiting for a Telehealth response.

The response, he says, will usually be, “Stay home and self-monitor.”

The Ontario government declared a state of emergency on March 17. What does that mean?

In an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19 in Ontario, the province banned gatherings of 50 or more people, including parades and communal services within places of worship.

It has also closed:

Public libraries

Private schools

Daycares

Facilities providing indoor recreational programs

Bars and restaurants, except for takeout food and delivery

Theatres

Concert venues

What’s open:

Public transit

Shopping malls

Grocery stores

Pharmacies

On March 19, Toronto’s medical officer of health encouraged all non-essential businesses like hair and nail salons as well as clothing stores to close immediately.

Read more from the Toronto Star:

Next two weeks are crucial in the coronavirus fight, top doctor says

Eight things you need to know about coronavirus and self-isolation

What are your rights if you’re told to stay away from work?

List of events cancelled or postponed

Does your risk of coronavirus exposure increase on public transit? We had a Toronto doctor explain the risk

Washing your hands can prevent the spread of coronavirus — but you’re probably doing it wrong

The data on COVID-19: Here’s what you need know about the new coronavirus

A checklist of what you need to survive a 14-day home quarantine

What does it mean to “flatten the curve?”

This oft-repeated phrase comes from a chart circulated among health experts depicting two curves, one with a steep peak indicating a surge of cases in a short period of time, and the other with a flatter slope depicting a more gradual rise in patients over a longer period of time.

The goal, according to experts, is to slow the rise so that it resembles the flatter curve rather than the steep peak. The steeper the curve, the more likely the health-care system will be overwhelmed by the number of cases all at one, whereas a gradual rise in patients spreads out the resources.

What is social distancing?

Social distancing refers to minimizing close contact with others in the community in order to mitigate the impact of COVID-19. Wherever possible, individuals are being asked to avoid large crowds and gatherings. Business and organizations are also likewise asked to cancel large events and allow employees to work from home.

What else is Canada doing?

On March 18, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Donald Trump said the border would be closed between the two countries for all “non-essential traffic” by March 21. Cross-border trade and commerce would continue. Earlier, Trudeau had announced that Canada would close its borders to all non-citizens and non-permanent residents. Immediate family members and American citizens were exempt.

The federal government is telling people returning to Canada from abroad to stay in isolation for 14 days. International flights will also be limited to airports in Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto.

Canadians are being urged not to leave the country and suspend large gatherings. Canadians who are already abroad are being urged to return home as soon as possible as travel options “are becoming more limited.”

Canadians are being urged to work at home if possible.

Ontario long-term care homes and residential treatment centres started restricting visits to “essential visitors only” on March 14. The ministry defines essential visitors as those visiting residents who are dying or “very ill,” and the parents or guardians of an ill child or youth in a live-in treatment centre.

Trudeau announced $1 billion in federal funding on March 11 to help provincial health-care systems cope with the increasing number of new coronavirus cases and to help Canadian workers who are forced to isolate themselves.

The prime minister also announced on March 18 a $27 billion aid package for individuals and businesses affected by the virus.

What’s the virus’s official name?

The virus’s official name is SARS-CoV-2, which stands for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. On Feb. 11, the World Health Organization named the disease that the virus causes as coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19. It made sure not to reference Wuhan, where the virus originated to avoid further stigmatization of the people who come from that central Chinese city.

What’s the mortality rate?

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On March 4, the World Health Organization said the latest mortality rate for the virus is 3.4 per cent. This is well above the seasonal flu, which has a mortality rate of under 0.1 per cent. However, the mortality rate varies by country. Countries like South Korea, known for their robust testing, have a mortality rate of about one per cent. The mortality rate in Italy is almost nine per cent as of March 23.

Why did the WHO declare the outbreak a pandemic?

In a statement on March 12, WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said the decision to declare this a pandemic wasn’t one the WHO “took lightly.”

“We have made this assessment for two main reasons: first, because of the speed and scale of transmission,” Ghebreyesus said. “ In the past two weeks, the number of cases reported outside China has increased almost 13-fold, and the number of affected countries has almost tripled.”

The second reason is that the WHO is “deeply concerned that some countries are not approaching this threat with the level of political commitment needed to control it.”

Ghebreyesus stressed that the pandemic is “controllable.”

Why are people so alarmed about COVID-19 when the flu kills so many more people a year?

The mortality rate is between 10 to 30 times the mortality rate of the seasonal flu based on the numbers provided by the WHO. Ghebreyesus said that’s because COVID-19 is a new disease and no one has built up an immunity to it.

When did the outbreak begin?

The first cases were reported in December from people who visited a seafood market, since closed, in Wuhan, China, a city of 11 million people. Experts suspect that the virus was first transmitted from wild animals and has mutated very little.

How does the illness spread?

According to the WHO, the disease can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth which are spread when a person with COVID-19 coughs or exhales. These droplets land on objects and surfaces around the person. Other people then catch COVID-19 by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth. People can also catch COVID-19 if they breathe in droplets from a person with COVID-19 who coughs out or exhales droplets. WHO urges people to stay more than one metre away from a person who is sick.

Can you get COVID-19 from someone without symptoms?

The risk of catching COVID-19 from someone with no symptoms at all is very low, according to the WHO. However, many people with COVID-19 experience only mild symptoms, especially in the early stages of the disease. So it’s possible to catch COVID-19 from someone who has, for example, just a mild cough and does not feel ill. WHO does say it is continuing research on how the disease is transmitted.

How long can coronavirus stay infectious on surfaces?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States says that current evidence suggests that the virus could remain infectious from hours to days on surfaces. Health officials in Canada recommend high-touch surfaces be regularly cleaned.

Is there an antidote?

Canada’s chief public health officer said in January that it will likely take at least a year before a vaccine is developed.

On March 23, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the federal government will invest more than $200 million to speed development of a vaccine against COVID-19.

On March 12, researchers from Sunnybrook, the University of Toronto and McMaster University in Hamilton have made a key breakthrough in the battle, isolating severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (known clinically as SARS-CoV-2), the agent responsible for the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19.

On March 19, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine had shown “tremendous promise” to treat the new illness. At the same briefing, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious-disease expert in the U.S., said no such declaration could be made without testing.

Who has died?

An examination by the Chinese government earlier in February found that the illness mostly killed older men — many with underlying health problems. Those aged 80 or older had a mortality rate of more than 14 per cent. For people aged 70 to 79 years, the mortality rate was eight per cent. On the other end of the spectrum, the mortality rate was 0.2 per cent for those aged 10 to 39 years.

Is recovery likely?

While it largely depends on the condition of the patient — some pre-existing health conditions will likely impact the speed or likelihood of recovery — far more people have recovered from the illness than those who have died from it.

Should I start wearing a mask?

Canadian health officials say that wearing surgical masks during everyday life has little use in protecting against the coronavirus, despite being effective in hospital settings.

Early data on the virus suggests that masks won’t be especially effective, and some say that repeatedly touching and adjusting the masks with unwashed hands could do more harm than good.

Does washing my hands help?

Yes. Washing your hands is still the leading weapon to kill the spread of viruses. Wash frequently, and thoroughly, with soap and water or use an alcohol-hand sanitizer.

What events around the world have been affected?

Many events have been postponed or cancelled around the world including:

Canada said on March 22 that it wouldn’t send athletes to the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics unless the Games are postponed by a year. The statement came hours after the International Olympic Committee that it will make a decision on whether to postpone the games within the next four weeks.

The NBA, NHL have all suspended their seasons until further notice. Major League Baseball has delayed the start of its season by at least two weeks and suspended the rest of its spring training schedule.

See a list of rolling concerts and event closures here

Collision tech conference in Toronto

With files from The Canadian Press

Clarification — Feb 26, 2020: This article has been updated from a previous version to make it clear that experts say there has been very little mutation of the virus.

TY Tom Yun is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star’s radio room in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @thetomyun