COVID-19 is a disease caused by a virus, which is part of a big family called Coronaviruses. It started in Wuhan, China, at the end of 2019. The World Health Organization (WHO) found out about it. This family of viruses can make animals and humans sick. In humans, these viruses can cause colds and more serious sicknesses like MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) and SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome).

You can get COVID-19 from someone who has the disease. This can happen when:

• they cough or sneeze, and droplets come out of their mouth or nose and you breathe them in;
• you're near them for a long time, like touching or shaking hands;
• you touch something that has the virus on it and then touch your mouth, nose, or eyes before you wash your hands.

Health experts in North America say that the chance of getting the virus from things like packages is probably very low. This is because the virus is usually spread from person to person through tiny drops that come out when we cough or sneeze. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that there's no proof that the virus can be spread through things we import from other countries. So far, no one in the U.S. has gotten sick with COVID-19 this way. For more information, you can check the websites of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Here's the advice from the Canadian Pharmacists Association in simpler terms:

• Wash your hands a lot with warm water and soap for around 20 seconds. If you can't use soap and water, a hand sanitizer is a good option.
• Try not to touch your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• If you need to cough or sneeze, use a tissue or your elbow. Don't sneeze or cough into your hand.
• If you're not feeling well, especially if you're coughing, sneezing or have a fever, stay at home.
• If you're sick, avoid going to hospitals or places where old people live.
• Get a shot to protect you from the flu. The flu virus is still around.
• Watch out for signs like fever, cough and difficulty breathing. If you think you have coronavirus symptoms, stay away from other people as quickly as possible and call a doctor or public health authority.

The Canadian Pharmacists Association said:

• Face masks bought from stores and pharmacies don't fully protect you from airborne viruses like COVID-19. Also, most people don't use them the right way, which makes them less effective.
• They don't suggest that everyone should wear a face mask to try and avoid catching COVID-19. Masks can be useful if worn by people who are already sick, but they should throw away the mask right after they use it.
• There's no known risk of getting the coronavirus in Canada from packages or parcels coming from areas where the virus is present.

IALOP stands for International Association of Licensed Online Pharmacies. It's a group of retail pharmacies that sell safe and cheap prescription drugs made by top brand-name makers. These drugs can be up to 70% cheaper than what you'd pay at a U.S. pharmacy. Since IALOP started in 2015, its pharmacies have helped over 10 million patients and have never had a safety issue. That's why IALOP is a reliable solution to the very high drug prices in the U.S.

IALOP members sell medicines approved by Health Canada from their official pharmacies in Canada. They also work with trusted pharmacies and centers in other parts of the world. These places sell and send medicines directly from their location. Patients can choose where their medicines come from, and this is checked with them when they buy.

Be careful of "fake" websites that use a Canadian name or claim to be part of IALOP, but don't show our official IALOP sign or misuse our sign. These fake websites might sell poor quality and fake medicines made or sold in ways that are not safe or controlled, or drugs that are illegal. Also, they might not ask for a valid prescription from your doctor, and some have been known to steal your personal and payment details.

Customers should always check that a website is a current member of IALOP, following our group's strict rules and steps designed to protect your privacy and your safety. Please visit the IALOP Safe Pharmacies page before you place your order, to check a website - even one that does show the IALOP sign or might have been a member before - is a current IALOP member pharmacy that cares about your safety and happiness with your daily medicines.

The IALOP certificate promises you that the pharmacy provider is licensed, trusted and follows strict safety rules. IALOP member pharmacies:

• ask for valid and signed prescriptions, usually for 30 to 90-day supplies of medicines and everyday health medicines;
• get personal and health information from the patient and keep a health record with medicine history to avoid bad medicine interactions;
• have a licensed pharmacist on staff to talk to patients;
• do not sell controlled substances; and
• protect patient privacy by following the same strict confidentiality and safety rules as U.S. pharmacies.

In addition, IALOP members do not send any unwanted emails (SPAM) or sell addresses to others. For your safety and privacy, we suggest only dealing with websites showing the IALOP sign.

Websites approved by IALOP show the IALOP badge like the one below. But because this badge is linked with trust and honesty, some websites falsely display it. These sites pretend to be part of IALOP, but they aren't. Always double-check on the IALOP.com website to make sure a medicine-selling site is a real IALOP member. To check if a site is a member, click here.

IALOP is a group of pharmacies, not a pharmacy or drug seller. The IALOP office doesn't have, give out, or send any medicines. Each IALOP member pharmacy, listed on our website, does this.

To ask questions or get a prescription filled, please reach out to a pharmacy that shows the IALOP symbol and is confirmed on our website.

Go to any website of a IALOP member from our list of Safe Online Pharmacies. Each of these websites has a search bar where you can type the name of your medicine and see how you can order it.

IALOP member pharmacies need a real prescription from your doctor for any medicines that need a prescription in your area.

IALOP members sell medications approved by Health Canada from their Canadian pharmacies. They also work with trusted pharmacies from other countries to offer more savings. Most places outside the U.S. have systems to prevent too high drug prices. In Canada, the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB) helps control drug prices.

IALOP members have to follow strict rules to be part of the group. Once they join, they are regularly checked and their places of business are inspected to make sure they keep following all the rules and guidelines.

All IALOP members follow the same strict safety and privacy rules set by the association. So, no matter which IALOP member website you choose, you can expect high-quality medicine and professional service.

IALOP members pay a fee to show the IALOP Seal on their websites, but not every online pharmacy can become a member. This is because IALOP has very strict rules that its members need to follow. They check their members regularly to make sure they are following all these rules. If a member doesn't follow the rules, they can get in trouble with IALOP. Some online pharmacies choose not to follow these strict rules. To learn more about how to avoid these less reliable websites, click here.

The IALOP office takes care of the Association's needs and image, which includes making sure that each patient gets great service from its IALOP member pharmacy. So, if you ever have any problems with one of our members, we strongly encourage you to tell us.