Why It’s Important to Know the Incubation Period

From an epidemiologist’s brain, to yours

The incubation period for a disease is the time between when a person is exposed to a pathogen and when they develop symptoms from it. According to Cherise Rohr-Allegrini, PhD, an epidemiologist and tropical disease scientist who has been writing frequently on Medium lately, understanding a virus’ incubation period is “essential in public health planning, because we need to know how long contacts to a case must be followed before they can be declared uninfected.”

So what is that period for Covid-19? Scientists are still combing data to figure it out, but so far it looks like symptoms appear in as few as two days, or as long as 14 days, after exposure.

Read her full analysis here: What’s in an Incubation Period?

(Note: This story was written March 10, before the WHO declared Covid-19 a pandemic, but the thinking is still relevant. Stay tuned here for updates as we have them about the incubation period of Covid-19.)