Risks of getting COVID-19

The risk of getting COVID-19 is evolving daily and varies between and within communities. Overall, the risk to Canadians remains high. This doesn't mean that all Canadians will get the disease. It means that there's already a significant impact on our health care system.

 

To stay healthy and to protect ourselves and others, we must be mindful of the ever-present risk of exposure to the virus. Some settings and situations increase the risk, such as being in:

 

closed spaces

crowded places

close-contact settings where you can't keep 2 metres apart from each other

close-range conversations

settings where there's singing, shouting or heavy breathing (for example, during exercise)

It's particularly important to avoid settings where these risks overlap, such as closed spaces and crowded spaces where close-range conversations occur.

 

Holidays and celebrations

 People at a greater risk of exposure

 People at risk of more severe disease or outcomes

 Going out

 Pregnant people

 Travellers

 Check if you've been exposed

 Survival of coronaviruses on surfaces

 Swimming

 Food

 Animals in Canada

 Sexual health

False and misleading claims

Health Canada is closely tracking all potential drugs and vaccines in development in Canada and abroad. We are working with companies, academic research centres and investigators to help expedite the development and availability of treatments to prevent and treat COVID-19. Learn more about drugs and vaccines being developed or authorized for COVID-19.

 

Selling unauthorized health products or making false or misleading claims to prevent, treat or cure COVID-19 is illegal in Canada. We take this matter very seriously and we're taking action to stop this activity.

 

We encourage anyone who has information regarding potential non-compliant sale or advertising of any health product claiming to treat, prevent or cure COVID-19, to report it using our online complaint form.

 

We publish a list of companies and products and the status of the review on the list of health product advertising incidents related to COVID-19.

 

Exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) from 5G devices doesn't spread COVID-19. There's no scientific basis behind these claims. Both the World Health Organization and the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection have also addressed these claims.