Omicron's Incubation Period Is Short: Here's Why That Matters

Omicron's Incubation Period Is Short: Here's Why That Matters Omicron's incubation period is shorter than previous COVID-19 variants. Here's why that matters. Yahoo

There’s so much public health officials are still learning about the Omicron COVID-19 variant, but one thing is certain: It spreads really quickly. Omicron now causes 99.5% of COVID-19 infections in the U.S.—a staggering number considering that this strain was only detected in the country in early December.

With that, it’s understandable to wonder about Omicron’s incubation period, i.e. the amount of time it takes from when you’re infected to when you start showing symptoms of Omicron. Here’s what you need to know about Omicron’s incubation period, how long you’re contagious with Omicron, and what all of this means for the future of the pandemic.

A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) analyzed data from six people who contracted the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and found that 73 hours (or three days) was the typical incubation period for patients. However, there was a range: Some developed symptoms as early as 33 hours after being exposed and some became symptomatic after 75 hours. ...

What the shorter incubation period does mean, though, is that you should consider testing yourself sooner if you had a known exposure to someone with the virus, says Thomas Russo, M.D., professor and chief of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo in New York. The CDC currently recommends that you test yourself “at least” five days after you’ve had close contact with someone who has COVID-19, but Dr. Russo says it should be shorter with Omicron.

“You want to jump on those home tests after about day three of being exposed so you can isolate yourself from others if you’re positive,” he says. If you’re positive, it also means that you may be able to access treatments like monoclonal antibodies or antiviral medications sooner if you’re considered high risk for serious complications from the virus, Dr. Russo says. “Overall, you just have to be ready to be a little more expedient in your actions,” he adds.

Omicron’s shorter incubation period is closer to the flu (which has an incubation period of one to four days), Dr. Russo says. “It is definitely more flu-like in that way,” he says. “At the end of the day, though, testing is what will help you differentiate between what you need to do next.” ...