average incubation period medium incubation periodResearch suggests that the original version of the coronavirus and early variants had an incubation period of about five days, on average. Omicron is even faster, with an incubation period of around three days, according to a recent CDC study. In a preliminary study, the researchers found that Omicron infections were about a day shorter than Delta infections and resulted in slightly lower peak viral loads on average. A small study found that the antibodies produced after infection with Omicron seem protect against Delta, but Delta infections offer little protection against Omicron. In a recent study, researchers found that people with Omicron infections were less likely to be hospitalized, end up in intensive care, or require mechanical ventilation than those with Delta infections.

Source: New York Times January 22, 2022 12:15 UTC