If you go to your local supermarket right now, it’s hard to find toilet paper.

Stories of stockpiling, strict travel bans and a surge in deaths outside of China has overwhelmed the coverage of coronavirus in recent days.

Of course, people are worried beacuse, as the World Health Organisation confirmed on Monday, “we are in unchartered territory”. But the circulation of fiction and fearmongering has become widespread in response to the illness.

And right now, we need facts not fear.

At a time when the truth has never mattered more, here are 17 critical facts about the coronavirus outbreak.

Listen to Mamamia’s daily news podcast, The Quicky. Today, they find out whether we should be stopping travel because of the coronavirus, cancelling the Olympics and be worried about the economy. Post continues below.

Feature image: Getty.

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