When the coronavirus hit home in Singapore, people wanted answers.

They turned to The Straits Times for information on a wide range of topics - from how long the virus could survive on surfaces, to how to make the best of home-based learning.

Since late January, when the first case surfaced here, readers have written in to ST with more than 5,000 questions on Covid-19 and how it has impacted their lives.

The newspaper has made a concerted effort to answer these queries on its AskST platform, and help readers sift out the real news amid a deluge of information from all sources.

A foremost concern was the circuit breaker, with over 800 queries received.

In fact, ST received the highest number of questions on April 8 - a day after circuit breaker measures kicked in.

A total of 208 questions out of 322 received that day related to the circuit breaker, as people sought clarity about continuing home tuition, whether it was still possible for one to visit elderly parents, and regulations on exercising outdoors.

There were also over 500 questions in two broad categories - travel and its restrictions, as well as the virus itself.

In addition, more than 300 questions sought to clarify whether something was fake news, while there were over 200 on masks.

Topics pertaining to safe distancing and stay-home notices were also important concerns.

Many of the questions were repeated, but ST replied to over 500 queries and published numerous AskST Q&A stories to address most of the key concerns.

ST editor Warren Fernandez explained why the paper had put considerable effort into addressing the questions.

"Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been another equally virulent outbreak - that of fake news being spread on the situation, causing much concern and confusion," he said.

"The ST newsroom has tried to do its part to fight this, by seeking answers from the experts and putting out stories and videos to debunk falsehoods and explain the science behind the outbreak."

Mr Fernandez, who is also editor-in-chief of Singapore Press Holdings' English/Malay/Tamil Media Group, added: "We will continue to do all we can to help our readers stay well informed about how best to stay safe."

Said reader Alex Lee, who works in the finance industry: "Covid-19 is an event which will shape our generation and I am interested to see how it plays out on the world stage, and the outcomes of the varied responses by Singapore and other countries."

The 26-year-old, who reads the physical paper around three times a week, added: "With so many measures being rolled out at such a relentless pace, the use of graphics and Q&A segments by ST is helpful as it gives me a quick summary of what I can or cannot do."