[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] An analysis has emerged suggesting that the incubation period of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) may exceed 14 days. This indicates that the current response measures, which have involved quarantine during this period to confirm infection status, may require improvement.
On the 23rd (local time), The Washington Post (WP) reported, citing multiple reports from Chinese local governments, that there have been numerous cases where the incubation period exceeded 14 days.
In Hubei Province, a 70-year-old man showed no symptoms for 27 days before testing positive for COVID-19. In Jiangxi Province, there was a case of a person who was confirmed positive after 14 days of quarantine followed by 5 days of self-isolation. Hubei Province also reported a case where no symptoms appeared for 38 days.
Until now, health authorities worldwide have been screening infected individuals through a 14-day quarantine period. Those who had contact with infected persons were not considered suspected cases if they showed no symptoms during the 14-day quarantine. However, cases confirmed in China and elsewhere indicate that a 14-day quarantine period alone is insufficient to determine COVID-19 infection status.
WP pointed out that the current quarantine standards are being questioned regarding their effectiveness in preventing new transmissions of COVID-19.
Hong Kong media reported that some regions in China have extended the quarantine period to 21 days, considering these reasons.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
