Authorities: "Extension of COVID-19 Maximum Incubation Period? Insufficient Evidence to Expand" (Update)

Jung Eun-kyung, Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] The quarantine authorities have drawn a line on claims from some quarters that the 14-day maximum incubation period of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) should be extended, stating that "there is currently insufficient evidence."

Jung Eun-kyung, head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters for COVID-19, said at a regular briefing on the afternoon of the 26th, "Not only in our country but also in other countries, the quarantine measures are based on a 14-day standard," adding, "There is no basis to extend it beyond that." She made this statement in response to claims from some in the medical community that "the 14-day maximum incubation period of COVID-19 is too short and should be extended up to three weeks."

Referring to an analysis of 28 domestic patients who were infected earlier, Jung said, "When analyzing those whose exposure time was clear, the incubation period was very short, about 4 to 5 days, and we confirmed the characteristic that many infections occurred on the first day of onset," explaining, "There are still not many reported cases where the incubation period exceeds two weeks."

She also said, "Although exceptional cases have been reported and positive results may appear later in PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests," she emphasized, "PCR tests detect genetic fragments of the virus, so determining whether the virus is alive or infectious requires another level of review and verification." She added, "Research on more precise data is underway worldwide, including in our country, and only then can a conclusion be reached."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.