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TORONTO -- A number of Royal Canadian Legion branches across the country have launched online fundraising efforts to keep their doors open after suffering financial setbacks because of COVID-19. The head of the national veterans' and community service group said this week that despite ongoing work to help veterans and seniors in their communities during the pandemic, many branches are now turning to fundraising to pay the bills and ensure they can re-open when the crisis ends. Source

Cargo ship crews ferrying goods around the world are facing increased strain as ship operators consider keeping them at sea longer during the COVID-19 outbreak. It comes at a time when restrictions and concerns around the virus keep crews from leaving their vessels while in port, according to a union that represents seafarers. Source

OTTAWA -- The COVID-19 outbreak has sparked an increase in online child sexual predators that organizations, governments and parents need to take more seriously, says the head of the United Nations children's agency. "We've got a couple of worrying signs, which is that the online predators are really -- they're multiplying," Henrietta Fore, UNICEF's executive director, said in a wide-ranging interview with The Canadian Press this week. Source

OTTAWA -- Cities and construction groups are asking the Trudeau Liberals to relax the rules for expected cost overruns from infrastructure projects facing delays from the COVID-19 pandemic -- or add more cash to help them deal with it. Source

Dry cough, fever and difficulty breathing are the most common symptoms of COVID-19, but specialists are starting to learn more about less common potential symptoms such as loss of one's sense of smell, disorientation and even seizures. Source

The mad scramble to secure protective medical equipment and ventilators in the midst of a global pandemic has given some of the people who work in the usually tedious world of government procurement an unwelcome excuse to say, "I told you so. Source

For clinicians, inserting a tube into the airway of a COVID-19 patient is a high-risk procedure. It usually means front-line workers are staring right into someone's open mouth, and directly in the line of fire, should a sudden cough send virus-filled droplets flying. Source

In any other crisis, it might be reassuring to see that Parliament is still sitting — that the official business of democracy is carrying on undaunted. But in the midst of a global pandemic — when allowing people to come anywhere near each other risks spreading a potentially deadly disease — asking MPs to convene in the House of Commons seems foolish, even dangerous. Source

A mushroom spray, oil of oregano and a special hat to kill coronavirus in saliva have all been targeted by Health Canada in its crackdown on misleading and false claims of COVID-19 prevention and cures. The federal health agency has in recent weeks fielded dozens of complaints from Canadians reporting advertisements for products that claim to prevent, treat or cure the novel coronavirus that's so far killed more than 80,000 people in a global pandemic. Source

We're breaking down what you need to know about the pandemic by answering your questions. You can send us your questions via email at [email protected] and we'll answer as many as we can. We'll publish a selection of answers every weekday on our website, and we're also putting some of your questions to the experts on the air during The National and CBC News Network. Source