How long does it take for covid symptoms to appear?

The health situation continues to improve and some restrictions intended to prevent the spread of coronavirus have already been lifted, giving rise to a sense of relative normality.

Despite the situation of general improvement, infections continue to occur every day (most of them mild), so it is important to know how long does it take for covid symptoms to appear to be able to carry out diagnostic tests on time and contribute to breaking the chain of transmission of the virus.

incubation time

Keep in mind that the symptoms of the coronavirus do not usually appear immediately after the virus enters our body, but may take a few days to manifest from contact with the infected person. The Ministry of Health indicates in the last report on epidemiological parameters that the average incubation period for covid-19 is 5.1 days.

It should be noted that the incubation time may vary depending on the affected person and some factors such as the viral load or the patient’s health status. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCfor its acronym in English) gives a broader guideline and reports that symptoms can take between 2 and 14 days from exposure to the virus.

The omicron variant shortens deadlines

Just as ómicron has slightly modified the symptoms of the previous variants, its incubation period is also different from the other known mutations. According to several studies (the deepest of them, developed in Norway), ómicron is the variant of coronavirus with the shortest incubation period.

Thus, it is estimated that the symptoms in these cases take about three days to appear from the moment of infection.