1. Incubation period as part of the case definition of severe respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus.
- Author
-
Nishiura H, Mizumoto K, Ejima K, Zhong Y, Cowling B, and Omori R
- Subjects
- Bayes Theorem, Child, Preschool, Coronavirus isolation & purification, Coronavirus Infections complications, Coronavirus Infections virology, Diagnosis, Differential, Hong Kong, Hospitalization, Humans, Influenza, Human virology, Male, Patient Isolation, Saudi Arabia ethnology, Sensitivity and Specificity, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome virology, Time Factors, Coronavirus Infections diagnosis, Infectious Disease Incubation Period, Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype isolation & purification, Influenza, Human diagnosis, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome diagnosis
- Abstract
Non-specific symptoms of acute respiratory viral infections make it difficult for many countries without ongoing transmission of a novel coronavirus to rule out other possibilities including influenza before isolating imported febrile individuals with a possible exposure history. The incubation period helps differential diagnosis, and up to two days is suggestive of influenza. It is worth including the incubation period in the case definition of novel coronavirus infection.
- Published
- 2012