COVID-19

All you need to know about COVID-19 here: Video explainer on the novel coronavirus & FAQ by World Health Organisation (WHO).

Part-1: What is a Virus?

Watch Part 1 of “Know Better, Live Better” series by Prof Dr Liong Min Tze explaining about what is a virus primarily on the aspects of microbiology. 

Part 2: Different Viruses

Watch Part 2 of “Know Better, Live Better” series by Prof Dr Liong Min Tze explaining about the difference in viruses, comparing COVID-19 to HIV and other viruses. 

Part 3: Myths & Panic Shopping

Watch Part 3 of “Know Better, Live Better” series by Prof Dr Liong Min Tze addressing myths surrounding COVID-19 and panic shopping. 

Part 4: Cure for COVID-19?

Watch Part 4 (Finale) of “Know Better, Live Better” series by Prof Dr Liong Min Tze addressing the cure for COVID-19

WHO: Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19

What is COVID-19?

COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus. This new virus and disease were unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.
COVID-19

What are the symptoms of COVID-19?

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. Most people (about 80%) recover from the disease without needing special treatment. Around 1 out of every 6 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. People with fever, cough and difficulty breathing should seek medical attention.

How does COVID-19 spread?

People can catch COVID-19 from others who have the virus. 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. This is why it is important to stay more than 1 meter (3 feet) away from a person who is sick. WHO is assessing ongoing research on the ways COVID-19 is spread and will continue to share updated findings.    

WHO is continuously monitoring and responding to this outbreak. This Q&A will be updated as more is known about COVID-19, how it spreads and how it is affecting people worldwide. 

More FAQ on COVID-19 here


Journalists’ resources for covering COVID-19

We are compiling resources to help journalists cover the COVID-19 pandemic and the rapidly changing information that is emerging on this topic. This list will be updated as more resources become available:

World Health Organization

  • Follow #coronarovirus situation report by @WHO
  • Information about the viral prediction by @MRC_Outbreak, the WHO Collaborating Centre for Infectious Disease Modelling)

International Journalists’ Network

Poynter Institute

Ethical Journalism Network

Journalists Resource

Collection of research papers related to COVID-19 here:

Collections of papers


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