Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34409563›Full record

SynthesisInfection2022

Comprehensive estimation for the length and dispersion of COVID-19 incubation period: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Yongyue Wei, Liangmin Wei, Yihan Liu, Lihong Huang, Sipeng Shen, Ruyang Zhang, Jiajin Chen, Yang Zhao, Hongbing Shen, Feng Chen

Open access · bronzeAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Infection, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.5field-weighted citation impact, top 18% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 16 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Observational
  5. Article
  6. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 and Blood Safety: An Updated Review.Transfusion medicine and hemotherapy : offizielles Organ der Deutschen Gesellschaft fur Transfusionsmedizin und Immunhamatologie · 2022
    Review
  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Yongyue Wei *Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, 101 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211166, China.
Liangmin Wei *Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, 101 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211166, China.
Yihan LiuDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, 101 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211166, China.
Lihong HuangDepartment of Biostatistics, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
Sipeng ShenDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, 101 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211166, China.
Ruyang ZhangDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, 101 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211166, China.
Jiajin ChenDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, 101 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211166, China.
Yang ZhaoDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, 101 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211166, China.
Hongbing ShenDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, 101 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211166, China. hbshen@njmu.edu.cn.
Feng ChenDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, 101 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211166, China. fengchen@njmu.edu.cn.
Nanjing Medical University · CNFudan University · CN

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 81903407National Natural Science Foundation of China 81973142National Natural Science Foundation of China 82041024National Natural Science Foundation of China 82041026
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo estimate the central tendency and dispersion for incubation period of COVID-19 and, in turn, assess the effect of a certain length of quarantine for close contacts in active monitoring.

methodsLiterature related to SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 was searched through April 26, 2020. Quality was assessed according to Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality guidelines. Log-normal distribution for the incubation period was assumed to estimate the parameters for each study. Incubation period median and dispersion were estimated, and distribution was simulated.

resultsFifty-six studies encompassing 4095 cases were included in this meta-analysis. The estimated median incubation period for general transmissions was 5.8 days [95% confidence interval (95% CI): 5.3, 6.2]. Incubation period was significantly longer for asymptomatic transmissions (median: 7.7 days; 95% CI 6.3, 9.4) than for general transmissions (P = 0.0408). Median and dispersion were higher for SARS-CoV-2 incubation compared to other viral respiratory infections. Furthermore, about 12 in 10,000 contacts in active monitoring would develop symptoms after 14 days, or below 1 in 10,000 for asymptomatic transmissions. Meta-regression suggested that each 10-year increase in age resulted in an average 16% increment in length of median incubation (incubation period ratio, 1.16, 95% CI 1.01, 1.32; P = 0.0250).

conclusionThis study estimated the median and dispersion of the SARS-CoV-2 incubation period more precisely. A 14-day quarantine period is sufficient to trace and identify symptomatic infections.

Indexed as

COVID-19HumansQuarantineSARS-CoV-2United StatesCOVID-19Incubation periodMeta-analysisQuarantine periodRisk assessmentSARS-CoV-2

Identifiers

PMID34409563
PMCPMC8372687
OpenAlexW3193787694

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.