Understanding COVID-19
The Saskatchewan Science Centre is committed to ensuring that the people of Saskatchewan have access to accurate information about the global pandemic. These articles reference real scientific sources OR articles from third parties which compile data from real scientific sources.
In the articles below, sources are linked directly within the body of the post.
How do I know if information from the internet is credible?
Phase 1: What’s Happening?
Viruses are the most abundant pathogen on Earth. Viruses are microscopic parasites, generally much smaller than bacteria. They lack the capacity to thrive and reproduce outside of a host body such as bacteria, animals, or plants. Each viral particle, or virion, consists of a single nucleic acid - RNA or DNA - surrounded by a protein coat. The shapes of these virus particles range from simple helical and icosahedral forms to more complex structures.
In the first post of our Understanding COVID-19 series, we discussed what a virus was and whether they were alive. In this post, we’re going to discuss the specifics of SARS-CoV-2, which is the name of the virus that causes the disease named COVID-19.
Just what is COVID-19? What do we know about it, and how can we keep ourselves safe?
Phase 2: What Can We Do?
Wearing a mask is a simple thing that you can do to help protect yourself and others from COVID-19. The more things you can do (masking up, social distancing, staying home when possible) the more protection you afford to yourself and those around you, including the people that you love.
Washing your hands is a key part of preventing the spread of all diseases, including COVID-19. Read on to find out why.
The total impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic will not be fully known for some time. One thing, however, is clear: no matter your specific experiences during the pandemic, your mental health has been affected.
Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Disinfecting… we talk about them all the time, but what do these words really mean, and why should you care?
Phase 3: Next Steps & The Future
Everyone's talking about vaccines, and the information can be confusing. Let's get back to basics for a moment: What is a vaccine?