Different incubation times for Covid depending on the variant. The period has shortened in these pandemic years, passing from 5 days of Alfa ai 3.4 days of the Omicron era. This was revealed by an analysis of several studies, published in ‘Jama Network Open’. The review, conducted by Beijing researchers, looked at data from 142 studies, with 8,112 patients involved. Most of the papers also reported the time spent developing the disease.
The average incubation period of Covid-19 was 5 days for cases caused by the Alpha variant; 4.50 days for the Beta variant, 4.41 days for the Delta variant and 3.42 for Omicron. The mean incubation was 7.43 days among older patients (over 60 years of age), 8.82 days among children and adolescents up to 18 years of age, and 6.99 days in both non-severe disease. both of serious Covid.
The results of this study – the authors point out – suggest that Sars-CoV-2 evolved and mutated continuously during the pandemic, producing variants with different transmission and virulence. Identifying the incubation period of the different variants is a key factor in determining the isolation period.