Part 5/18:
Incubation Periods, Transmission, and Asymptomatic Spread
A critical part of understanding the outbreak involves grasping the virus's incubation period—the time from exposure to development of symptoms. Dr. Michael says this period averages around four days but emphasizes that individuals can be contagious before showing symptoms. This pre-symptomatic infectiousness complicates containment efforts since people breathing normally can transmit the virus unknowingly, even if they feel fine.