Asked and answered: What readers want to know about coronavirus

The Washington Post Staff

Updated Aug. 28 at 11:14 a.m.

Please Note

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The novel coronavirus is changing how we live our lives, and our readers have questions. The Washington Post has catalogued and organized 11,831 questions about the respiratory disease and provided a guide to help you find the answers. Many of the questions fell into common themes, and this guide provides links to reporting that holds the answers to those frequently referenced topic areas. This guide is updated twice a day and reordered with the most frequently asked-about subject areas, from how the disease affects individuals to the broad impact on society as we know it.

You can keep asking us questions here.

Featured question

“We know that wearing a mask protects those people around you. What kind of mask can we get to protect ourselves? We were told not to buy N95 masks because the medical professionals needed them.”

“What kind of mask can I buy to protect me?”

—Nancy Albertson

Epidemiologists say the best masks for the general public are surgical or reusable cloth masks. Health-care workers need N95 respirators, the personal protective equipment used in hospitals that provide a tight seal around the mouth and nose, because they’re in contact with infected patients for prolonged periods of time.

The average person won’t need to protect against that level of exposure, according to Saskia Popescu, an infectious-disease epidemiologist at George Mason University.

—Teddy Amenabar, Washington Post audience editor

The Post has collected 342 new questions in the last 14 days. Categories are organized by frequency of most recent questions. Change in interest is based on questions asked in the last 4 weeks.

-33% less interest over last 4 weeks How it spreads

-4% unchanged interest over last 4 weeks Tracking the virus

-41% less interest over last 4 weeks Testing & immunity

Resources

The coronavirus mainly spreads person to person through respiratory droplets when a person talks, coughs or sneezes, according to the CDC. Washing your hands with soap and water can help reduce the spread of the virus. If you’d like to learn more, read here:

Why outbreaks like the coronavirus spread exponentially, and how to “flatten the curve”

Virus ‘does not spread easily’ from contaminated surfaces or animals, revised CDC website states

-26% less interest over last 4 weeks Characteristics of coronavirus

-33% less interest over last 4 weeks Masks

-15% less interest over last 4 weeks Vaccines & treatments

Resources

Why outbreaks like the coronavirus spread exponentially, and how to “flatten the curve”

Virus ‘does not spread easily’ from contaminated surfaces or animals, revised CDC website states

-29% less interest over last 4 weeks State & federal response

-40% less interest over last 4 weeks Cleaning & sanitation

+600% more interest over last 4 weeks Elections

Resources

Why outbreaks like the coronavirus spread exponentially, and how to “flatten the curve”

Virus ‘does not spread easily’ from contaminated surfaces or animals, revised CDC website states

-71% less interest over last 4 weeks Mortality rate & cases

+33% more interest over last 4 weeks Trump’s response to coronavirus

-53% less interest over last 4 weeks Social distancing

Resources

Why outbreaks like the coronavirus spread exponentially, and how to “flatten the curve”

Virus ‘does not spread easily’ from contaminated surfaces or animals, revised CDC website states

-28% less interest over last 4 weeks Preexisting medical conditions

-50% less interest over last 4 weeks Travel

+39% more interest over last 4 weeks Flu & cold season

Resources

Why outbreaks like the coronavirus spread exponentially, and how to “flatten the curve”

Virus ‘does not spread easily’ from contaminated surfaces or animals, revised CDC website states

-46% less interest over last 4 weeks Jobs & the economy

-54% less interest over last 4 weeks Staying healthy

+100% more interest over last 4 weeks Stay-at-home orders & reopening

Resources

Why outbreaks like the coronavirus spread exponentially, and how to “flatten the curve”

Virus ‘does not spread easily’ from contaminated surfaces or animals, revised CDC website states

-77% less interest over last 4 weeks Grade school

-75% less interest over last 4 weeks Symptoms

-69% less interest over last 4 weeks Seniors

Resources

Why outbreaks like the coronavirus spread exponentially, and how to “flatten the curve”

Virus ‘does not spread easily’ from contaminated surfaces or animals, revised CDC website states

-38% less interest over last 4 weeks Misinformation

0% unchanged interest over last 4 weeks Health care

-50% less interest over last 4 weeks Hospital capacity & PPE

Resources

Why outbreaks like the coronavirus spread exponentially, and how to “flatten the curve”

Virus ‘does not spread easily’ from contaminated surfaces or animals, revised CDC website states

+50% more interest over last 4 weeks Exercise & gyms

-25% less interest over last 4 weeks Grocery & takeout

-63% less interest over last 4 weeks Supply & demand

Resources

Why outbreaks like the coronavirus spread exponentially, and how to “flatten the curve”

Virus ‘does not spread easily’ from contaminated surfaces or animals, revised CDC website states

+100% more interest over last 4 weeks Race

-34% less interest over last 4 weeks Parenting

-72% less interest over last 4 weeks Shopping & dining

Resources

Why outbreaks like the coronavirus spread exponentially, and how to “flatten the curve”

Virus ‘does not spread easily’ from contaminated surfaces or animals, revised CDC website states

-34% less interest over last 4 weeks Stimulus

-34% less interest over last 4 weeks Life at home

-60% less interest over last 4 weeks College

Resources

Why outbreaks like the coronavirus spread exponentially, and how to “flatten the curve”

Virus ‘does not spread easily’ from contaminated surfaces or animals, revised CDC website states

-82% less interest over last 4 weeks Societal change

-80% less interest over last 4 weeks Personal finance

-93% less interest over last 4 weeks Pandemic science & history

Resources

Why outbreaks like the coronavirus spread exponentially, and how to “flatten the curve”

Virus ‘does not spread easily’ from contaminated surfaces or animals, revised CDC website states

-84% less interest over last 4 weeks International impact & response

0% unchanged interest over last 4 weeks Going to work

Resources

Why outbreaks like the coronavirus spread exponentially, and how to “flatten the curve”

Virus ‘does not spread easily’ from contaminated surfaces or animals, revised CDC website states

Methodology

Wondering how this works? Here's an explanation:

Tell The Post what you want to know about the virus.

Reporters are interested in any questions about the virus, but it’s helpful to ask a question that addresses a common dilemma caused by the pandemic. You can also ask about how something works, such as contact tracing, antibody tests or respirator masks. If you’re comfortable doing so, please explain why you’re asking the question and how the answer may impact your life.

A Post journalist will read your question.

We’re reading every query and categorizing questions into topic areas, such as “masks,” “stay-at-home” or “symptoms.” The categories help us understand what topics people may have the most questions about and how that’s changed over time. A reporter may also email or call you to get more context regarding your submission.

We’ll send questions to different parts of the newsroom.

When we notice trends or find a question worth answering on its own, we’ll send those submissions to the appropriate team in the newsroom.

A reader’s question may inform reporting efforts that are already underway. In some cases, a question will become the basis for an entire article. If we answer your question directly, we’ll email you.

About

Written by Teddy Amenabar. Curated by Teddy Amenabar, Eliza Goren, Tom Johnson, Steven Johnson and Nia Decaille. Edited by Everdeen Mason. Designed and development by Jake Crump. Illustrated by Luerat Satichob/istockphoto.com.