Incubation period of COVID-19: analysis of COVID-19 cases admitted in a tertiary care center, northern district of Kerala, India

Authors

  • Anitha Subhadra Saraswathy Department of Community Medicine, Government Medical College, Kannur, Kerala, India
  • Rameela Sanya Department of Community Medicine, Government Medical College, Kannur, Kerala, India
  • Jayasree Anandabhavan Kumaran Department of Community Medicine, Government Medical College, Kannur, Kerala, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20211772

Keywords:

COVID-19, Incubation period, India, Kerala

Abstract

Background: Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) started as pneumonia of unknown cause detected first in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and spread as a pandemic affecting more than 200 countries worldwide. The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, dry cough, breathing difficulty and tiredness. The median incubation period is about 5 days as per current understanding. The present study was done to estimate the median incubation period of COVID-19 cases admitted in a tertiary care center in north Kerala.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included COVID-19 cases admitted in a tertiary care center during three months study period.

Results: The median incubation period of COVID-19 was estimated to be 4 days (interquartile range 7). It was also found that females, those persons with comorbidities and those who got infected by local transmission had a longer mean incubation period compared to males, those without comorbidities and imported cases, respectively.

Conclusions: The median incubation period of COVID 19 was estimated to be 4 days. Factors like presence of comorbidities, gender, type of transmission were found to affect incubation period, but further studies are needed to have a thorough understanding.

Author Biographies

Anitha Subhadra Saraswathy, Department of Community Medicine, Government Medical College, Kannur, Kerala, India

Assistant Professor, Department of Commuity Medicine, Government Medical College Kannur, Kerala

Rameela Sanya, Department of Community Medicine, Government Medical College, Kannur, Kerala, India

Junior Resident
Community Medicine
Government Medical College Kannur
Kerala

Jayasree Anandabhavan Kumaran, Department of Community Medicine, Government Medical College, Kannur, Kerala, India

Professor and Head
Community Medicine
Government Medical College Kannur
Kerala

References

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Published

2021-04-27

How to Cite

Saraswathy, A. S., Sanya, R., & Kumaran, J. A. (2021). Incubation period of COVID-19: analysis of COVID-19 cases admitted in a tertiary care center, northern district of Kerala, India. International Journal Of Community Medicine And Public Health, 8(5), 2451–2454. https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20211772

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Section

Original Research Articles