Information on the Coronavirus incubation period is a necessity in our world today as it’ll help us monitor ourselves if we suspect to have been exposed to the virus. Continue reading to find out more.
A coronavirus is a type of virus that has the ability to cause respiratory illnesses in both humans and animals. Sometime in 2019, a new coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2 emerged in Wuhan, China, and spread around the world very quickly.
The infection this new coronavirus causes is a respiratory disease called COVID-19. Just like most viruses, the coronavirus incubation period (SARS-CoV-2) can vary from person to person.
Continue to read to learn more about how long the coronavirus incubation period is so you can have a better knowledge of how it takes for symptoms to develop and actions you can take if you think you have COVID-19.
What To Know About The Coronavirus Incubation Period
Let’s start by telling you what incubation period means generally. By definition, an incubation period is a time between when you contract a virus and when your symptoms begin to show.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), currently, the coronavirus incubation period is somewhere between 2 to 14 days after exposure.
Furthermore, according to a recent report, over 97 percent of people who contract SARS-CoV-2 begin to show symptoms within 11.5 days of exposure. Thus, on average, the coronavirus incubation period seems to be around 5 days. However, as we learn more about the virus, this estimate may change.
For a lot of people, COVID-19 symptoms begin as mild symptoms and get worse over a few days gradually.
How Is The Virus Transmitted?
Often times, SARS-CoV-2 spreads from person to person through close contact. It could also be from droplets that are scattered when a person with the virus sneezes or coughs.
It is important to note that this novel coronavirus is highly contagious, thus, it spreads easily from person to person. People who have the virus are most contagious when they’re showing symptoms of COVID-19 according to the CDC.
Although it’s not very common, it is very possible for someone who is infected with the coronavirus to transmit the virus even if they’re not showing symptoms.
Furthermore, it’s also possible for the virus to be transmitted through the touching of virus-contaminated surfaces and then touching your mouth or nose. However, this is not the main way the novel coronavirus spreads.
How You Can Protect Yourself
Thoroughly washing your hands is the best way to prevent yourself from contracting the novel coronavirus. Wash your hands using soap and running water for at least twenty seconds. Just in case you don’t have soap and water, you can use hand sanitizers that contain at least 60 percent of alcohol.
There are some other ways you can protect yourself. Some of these ways include the following:
- Stay at least 6 feet away from anyone who looks sick, and avoid large groups of people also.
- Try to avoid touching your face.
- Do not share personal items with other people. This includes things like toothbrushes, drinking glasses, utensils, and lip balm.
- Do well to wipe high-touch surfaces like keyboards, doorknobs, and stair rails in your home with household cleaners or a diluted bleach solution.
- Wash your hands or use a hand sanitizer after you touch surfaces like an elevator or ATM buttons, grocery carts and gas pump handles.
- Also, stay home and call your doctor if you begin to have respiratory issues and think your symptoms are consistent with those of COVID-19.
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Typical Symptoms of COVID-19
Usually, the symptoms of COVID-19 are mild and develop gradually. The main symptoms are:
- cough
- fever
- fatigue
- shortness of breath
Also, there are some less common symptoms, they may include:
- nasal congestion
- chills. They are sometimes accompanied by frequent shaking
- muscle aches and pain
- loss of smell or taste
- sore throat
- runny nose
- headache
Compared to cold which usually causes a runny nose, congestion, and sneezing, COVID-19 has more respiratory symptoms. Again, a fever isn’t very common with a cold.
Furthermore, the flu has similar symptoms to COVID-19. However, COVID-19 has a higher chance of causing shortness of breath and other respiratory symptoms.
Again, according to the World Health Organization, around 80 percent of people recover from the symptoms of COVID-19 without needing any special medical treatment.
However, there are still people who can become seriously ill after contracting COVID-19. Older adults and people with compromised immune systems have the highest risk of developing more serious symptoms.
Coronavirus Symptoms You Should Look Out For
What You Should Do If You Think You Have Symptoms of COVID-19
The first thing to do if you think you have symptoms of COVID-19 is to stay home and call your doctor. Tell your doctor:
- the type of symptoms you have
- how serious your symptoms are
- whether you’ve been abroad or had contact with someone who has
- whether you’ve been areas where there were large groups of people
You may need to be evaluated further if:
- you have serious symptoms
- you’re an older adult
- you have underlying health conditions
- you’ve been exposed to someone with COVID-19
Your doctor will determine if you need to undergo testing and the best type of treatment for you.
If you don’t have serious symptoms and you have no underlying health conditions, your doctor might tell you to just stay home, rest, stay hydrated, and to avoid contact with others.
However, if your symptoms get worse after a few days of rest, it’s important to get medical care immediately.
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Are There Other Types of Coronaviruses?
Coronaviruses are a certain type of virus that causes respiratory illnesses in human beings and animals. The meaning of Corona is “crown,” and the viruses are named for the proteins on the outside of the viruses that look like crowns.
The latest type of coronavirus that was discovered is SARS-CoV-2. It is suspected that the source of this virus is to be animals in an open-air market in China. However, it’s still unclear what kind of animal was the source of the virus.
The respiratory illnesses Coronaviruses causes range from a mild cold to pneumonia. In fact, a lot of people get some sort of coronavirus infection at some point in their lives.
The other types of coronaviruses include:
SARS-CoV
It causes severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Usually, according to the CDC, the incubation period for SARS is 2 to 7 days, but in some people, it can be up to 10 days.
MERS-CoV
It causes Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The incubation period for MERS-CoV is between 2 and 14 days, with 5 to 6 days being average according to the CDC.
The Conclusion On Coronavirus Incubation Period
A lot of people who develop COVID-19 start to notice the symptoms within 2 to 14 days after they are exposed to the novel coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2. It takes around 5 days to develop symptoms on average, but this may change as we find out more about the virus.
Furthermore, if you have symptoms of COVID-19, speak with your doctor for advice. Finally, until you know the type of illness you have, stay home, and avoid contact with other people as much as possible.
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