Nearly seven months after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic, new information continues to emerge about the disease.
However, there appears to be some consensus on information related to how long it can take to develop symptoms after exposure to the novel coronavirus.
The incubation period of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is believed to be as long as 14 days. Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, loss of taste and/or smell, and diarrhoea.
"The time between exposure to COVID-19 and the moment when symptoms start is commonly around five to six days but can range from 1 – 14 days," the WHO said on its website.
The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said symptoms can appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus.
According to the CDC, one study states that 97.5 percent of people with COVID-19 develop symptoms within 11.5 days of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
India's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) also recommends a 14-day quarantine period after exposure to an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19.
Who can transmit the virus?
Both symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID-19 patients can infect other people, especially those who come in close contact. But the research on how frequently asymptomatic individuals can spread the virus is unclear.
"Some reports have indicated that people with no symptoms can transmit the virus. It is not yet known how often it happens," the WHO said.
"The proportion of SARS-CoV-2 transmission due to asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic infection compared to symptomatic infection is unclear," the CDC said.
How prevalent is the infection in India?
The Indian Council Medical Research (ICMR) in September released the findings of its second sero-survey. One in 15 people (10 years of age or older) were exposed to the novel coronavirus by the end of August, the survey said.
The survey also found a lower infection to case ratio in August when compared with May.
As of October 4, India has recorded over 65 lakh cases and 1 lakh deaths during the COVID-19 outbreak. Follow our full coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic here.
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