Researchers have conducted many studies to comprehend the dynamic of transmission and structure as well as many other elements of COVID-19, the virus which has caused 18 months of the pandemic to this day. To minimize the crisis, it is essential to determine the epidemiological characteristics of the virus.
The generation interval, as well as the incubation time, are major epidemiological factors. The interval from the infection of a pathogen to the transmission of the pathogen to another host is the generation interval. In the evaluation of quarantine durations, the incubation time serves a crucial function. Research of such characteristics might also support the development of efficient strategies for health authorities in managing the spread of diseases.
A new study
The abovementioned association is demonstrated by recent research released on the pre-print platform MedRxiv*, and the duration between the COVID-19 generation interval period and incubation is calculated.
This work has shown that the association of the generation time with the incubation will assist in measuring the spread of COVID-19, which will avoid underestimating the presymptomatic spread before symptom progression. The impact of Coronavirus quarantine for transmission control was also assessed in this research.
The findings
“Severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections have been associated with the substantial presymptomatic transmission, which occurs when the generation interval—the time between infection of an individual with a pathogen and transmission of the pathogen to another individual—is shorter than the incubation period—the time between infection and symptom onset,” reads the study.
The average incubation time is somewhere between 3.7 and 5.1 days, according to the study, whilst the average incubation time was calculated between 4.4 and 5.7. Consequently, when collectively calculated, the average interval generation time was constantly less than the average incubation duration. The existence of presymptomatic spread was postulated constantly.
Earlier investigations indicated that while transmissions with asymptomatic COVID-19 had a lower infection level, they have a significant influence on the pandemic’s behavior.
