bdmetronews Desk ॥ The coronavirus tends to take five days to cause symptoms, research suggests.
Scientists from John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, looked at 181 people who tested positive for the strain Covid-19 between 4 January and 24 February.
Results show most developed the tell-tale flu-like symptoms within five days, while nearly all (97.5%) endured fever, cough and breathlessness within 11.5 days.
The scientists predict 101 out of every 10,000 patients develop symptoms after 14 days, the typical time suspected sufferers spend in quarantine.
One expert stressed there is “little evidence to suggest a quarantine period of 14 days is not suitable”.
Covid-19 emerged at a seafood and live animal market in the Chinese city Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, at the end of last year.
It has since spread globally into more than 100 countries across every inhabited continent.
Since the outbreak was identified, more than 111,000 people have tested positive for the virus, according to John Hopkins University data.
China is still the epicentre of the outbreak, with 80,735 of the confirmed cases.
Incidences appear to be plateauing in the Asian country, however, with just 40 new patients being identified over night – the lowest since reporting began at the beginning of the year.
Eighteen countries have just one confirmed case.
With four out five incidences thought to be mild, over 62,000 patients have “recovered” worldwide.
Globally, the death toll is approaching 4,000.
The UK has 319 confirmed cases, with five Britons succumbing to the infection.
How long does the coronavirus Covid-19 infection take to cause symptoms?
Covid-19 was officially declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 30 January.
The following day, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced all citizens returning from Hubei would be “subject to mandatory quarantine for up to 14 days”.
