COVID-19 Incubation: How Long After Exposure Could You Be Contagious?

Reviewed by Yoshinori Abe, MD

Internal Medicine

Covid-19 Symptoms typically develop within 2-14 days after exposure to the virus.

Important Next Steps

Learn when COVID-19 symptoms usually start Discover likely causes of your symptoms Find out if your symptoms need care See OTC relief options for COVID-19 symptoms Find a doctor for COVID-19 concerns Understand home remedies for COVID-19 symptoms Check if it could be COVID-19

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Explanation

The average incubation period for COVID-19 infection (period of time it takes to develop symptoms after infection) is about 5 days. Most people (98%) will develop symptoms within 12 days. However, a small number will develop symptoms as early as 2 days after exposure while a very small portion may develop symptoms as long as 14 days after exposure. If you're experiencing any concerning symptoms, you can check your symptoms with a free AI-powered assessment to help determine your next steps.

(References)

Lauer SA, Grantz KH, Bi Q, Jones FK, Zheng Q, Meredith HR, Azman AS, Reich NG, Lessler J. The Incubation Period of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) From Publicly Reported Confirmed Cases: Estimation and Application. Ann Intern Med. 2020 May 5;172(9):577-582. doi: 10.7326/M20-0504. Epub 2020 Mar 10. PMID: 32150748; PMCID: PMC7081172.

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