The duration of the incubation period of the new coronavirus 2019-nCoV

A new strain of coronavirus was identified in China in December 2019. The epidemic continues, with more than 110 countries reporting cases of coronavirus. In this regard, the World Health Organization has declared a new virus a pandemic due to its scale of spread. One of the priorities of scientists was to study how long the incubation period of coronavirus in humans lasts.

What is the incubation period

The incubation period is the time elapsed between exposure to a pathogenic organism and the appearance of the first symptoms and signs of the disease. In a typical infectious disease, the incubation period refers to the time it takes for a reproducing organism to reach the threshold required for symptoms to appear in the host.

Depending on the disease, a person is not always considered contagious during the incubation period.

The incubation period can serve as the basis for important public health interventions in the fight against infectious diseases, including active monitoring, surveillance, control and modeling. Active monitoring requires that potentially at-risk individuals contact local health authorities regularly and report their health status. This is necessary because health departments can more effectively study statistics and fight a new infection.

How long is the incubation period of the new coronavirus from China

Since the start of the outbreak, researchers have been trying to answer the crucial question: how long does it take between a patient becoming infected and when they test positive for the coronavirus.

The ratings are very mixed. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the incubation period for coronavirus is two to 14 days. Another study published in January 2020 reported six days. It is also suggested that the period may be delayed up to 24 days.

However, recent research suggests that the average coronavirus incubation time is 5 days. This estimate is consistent with the studied incubation periods of other coronaviruses previously found in humans. These include SARS-CoV, which also has a five-day average incubation period.

What are the symptoms of coronavirus after the incubation period

After the end of the incubation period, the infected person develops a number of symptoms. As a rule, they appear in 2-14 days.

In most cases, a person has a fever, cough, broken bones, fever, shortness of breath. But the disease can also progress to a more severe stage, with pneumonia and severe acute respiratory syndrome. In a critical situation, coronavirus can cause death. So far, 3% of those infected have died.

The severity of COVID-19 symptoms ranges from mild to severe. Older people or those with chronic medical conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, are at a higher risk of serious complications. This is similar to what is seen in other respiratory illnesses such as the flu or bronchiolitis.

Can a person infect others during the incubation period?

Health experts are still not sure if people are contagious during the incubation period.

A number of studies show that in rare cases, infected people transmit the coronavirus to other people without getting sick themselves. One woman from Wuhan spread the virus to five members of her family without showing symptoms. Thus, the virus turned out to be contagious during the incubation period.

On the other hand, it became known that 392 of the 705 coronavirus-infected passengers of the Diamond Princess cruise ship were asymptomatic, the infection did not spread to the rest.

Experts currently estimate that most transmission of the virus appears to occur after an incubation period when people begin to show symptoms of coughing and fever.

How to protect yourself from coronavirus infection

So far, there is no vaccine to prevent the novel coronavirus 2019 ncov. Therefore, the best way to prevent the disease is regular prevention and proper protective measures.

The virus is believed to spread mainly from person to person who are in close contact with each other. Especially through drops of saliva that fly out when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The elderly and those with severe chronic illnesses appear to be at a higher risk of developing serious complications from the disease.

Since there is no vaccine yet, and the infection has spread to many countries of the world, it is worth taking self-protection measures.

1. Wash your hands frequently.

After visiting public places, be sure to wash your hands with soap and water. Wash for at least 15 seconds.

Also use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Wipe the entire surface of your hands and rub them together until they are dry.

2. Do not touch your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.

Like most infectious diseases, the new coronavirus enters the body through the respiratory tract, mucous membranes of the eyes and mouth.

3. Avoid close contact with sick people.

Set a distance between people who have SARS syndromes. This is especially important for those who are at higher risk of getting sick.

4. Stay at home if you get sick.

Do not go to work or school if you feel sick. In your free time, it is desirable to get medical help as soon as possible.

5. Cover up when coughing.

Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue, or use the inside of your elbow when you cough or sneeze. Be sure to throw used tissues in the trash.

6. Put on a face mask, symptoms appear.

When the first symptoms appear, be sure to wear a medical face mask, especially when near people around you, for example, in a common room or car. A mask is also required before entering the health worker's office. If it is not possible to wear it due to difficulty in breathing, then every effort should be made to cover your coughs and sneezes. And for people caring for you, a face mask is required.

7. Regular disinfection.

Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces once a day. These can include tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, telephones, keyboards, toilets, faucets and sinks.

8. The last resort is self-isolation.

Self-isolation means staying at home in quarantine for 14 days. During this period, you should not go to work, school or other public places, and avoid public transport or taxis. You should also avoid contact with other members of your family.

Due to the growing epidemics and the lack of a vaccine, it is difficult to feel safe, especially if a case of infection has been discovered in your area. If ARVI syndromes appear, then you should definitely consult a doctor, because it is easy to confuse a common cold and a life-threatening virus.