COVID-19 symptoms typically appear 5 days after infection
The researchers found that the average time it took for symptoms to appear was 5.5 days, and the median was 5.1 days. (Pexels/)People who are infected with COVID-19 start showing symptoms within about 5 days on average of being exposed to the new coronavirus, scientists reported March 10. Researchers analyzed 181 confirmed cases of the disease (both from within China and 24 other countries) and found that around half develop COVID-19 within 5 days of exposure and nearly all people who develop symptoms will do so within 12 days.Understanding this incubation period—the time between when a virus enters a person’s body and when they start feeling sick—is crucial for health officials trying to make decisions about how to respond to the outbreak.“As we encourage social distancing and even self-isolation of people who may have been exposed, it’s important to have a good understanding of how long it might take...