COVID-19 incubation period after recovery

We all know that infected people sneezing, coughing and sniffling can spread COVID-19. But are you still contagious after recovering fully? Read on to know more.

By: Jahnavi Sarma | | Published: July 7, 2020 1:27 pm

The WHO says that specific indoor locations, such as crowded and inadequately ventilated spaces, can facilitate faster transmission of the COVID-19 virus.

With the world still reeling under the impact of the current global pandemic, many people wonder if you can still spread the virus even after recovering from infection. Though scientists are divided in their opinion about this, a recent book titled The Coronavirus: What You Need to Know about the Global Pandemic says you can. Written by internal medicine specialist Dr Swapneil Parikh, clinical psychologist Maherra Desai, and neuropsychiatrist Dr Rajesh M Parikh and published by Ebury Press, this book says that while infected people sneezing, coughing and sniffling can spread COVID-19, the communicable period for the virus can start before a person falls sick and may even continue after they apparently recover. This is worrying indeed and there must be equal stress on quarantine even after recovery. Also Read - Can alternative therapies help us in our battle against the COVID-19 pandemic?

Recovered patients may shed virus for up to 8 days

In a March 2020 study published in the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, researchers saw that half of the patients they treated for mild COVID-19 infection still had coronavirus for up to eight days after symptoms disappeared. Also Read - COVID-19 Live Updates: Cases in India surge to 22,68,675 as death toll reaches 45,257

They collected samples from throat swabs taken from all patients on alternate days and analyzed it. Patients went home after their recovery and confirmation of negative viral status by at least two consecutive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. However, even after this, their analysis revealed that half of the patients kept shedding the virus even after resolution of their symptoms. And, more severe infections may have even longer shedding times. Also Read - COVID-19 and Immunity: Fermented foods to boost your defence mechanism

Decoded: Infection to onset of symptoms to end of contagious period

According to the researchers, the primary symptoms in these patients included fever, cough, pain in the pharynx and difficulty breathing. All patients were treated with a range of medications. The time from infection to onset of symptoms, which we call the incubation period, was five days among all but one patient. The average duration of symptoms was eight days. However, the length of time patients remained contagious after the end of their symptoms ranged from one to eight days. Two patients had diabetes and one had tuberculosis, neither of which affected the timing of the course of COVID-19 infection.

Quarantine yourself for 2 weeks after recovery, say experts

Researchers from College of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, say that If you had mild respiratory symptoms from COVID-19 and were staying at home so as not to infect people, extend your quarantine for another two weeks after recovery to ensure that you don’t infect other people. They further added that COVID-19 patients can be infectious even after their symptomatic recovery, so healthcare professionals must treat the asymptomatic/recently recovered patients as carefully as symptomatic patients.

Things you need to do post recovery

A new strain of coronavirus causes this disease and scientists are still trying to figure it out. People who suffer from a more severe infection may take longer to recover from their symptoms. They may also be contagious for a longer time. Even if you don’t get severe complications of COVID-19, it is best to take a few precautions to avoid transmission of the disease to others. Talk to your doctor about your isolation period after recovery. Be sure to practice all precautionary measures like maintaining social distancing, wearing a face mask and washing hands frequently. This will help prevent transmission to a great extent.

(With inputs from Agencies)

Published : July 7, 2020 1:27 pm

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