How quick does it spread?

[Senso21]

With Xmas approaching I’m just wondering.

If you were meeting someone who is unknowingly positive Xmas eve. Could you be infected AND spreading it to a group of people you spend Xmas day with? Just wondering how quick it can be to catch and infect someone else

The incubation period for earlier variants was typically 5-6 days, range 2-14, with potential infectiousness starting any time in the 48 hours before onset of symptoms (but those timings get compressed a little IYSWIM when the incubation period is short)

Omicron typical incubation period is shorter - 3-5 days. I've not seen anything to suggest the period of potential infectiousness has become less than 48 hours.

Thank you. So basically xmas eve then xmas day mixing shouldn’t effect eachother x

I saw something the other day and I'll try and link to it but it said it was a matter of hours for catching it and becoming infectious.

Off to google...

It might not affect it, but in biology I'd never say never.

I wouid definitely test each day, with as sort an interval efore meeting people as possible

I don't think there's an answer to this yet. In delta it was unlikely you'd transmit it the day after getting infected but the incubation period was around 5 days. With Omicron it's looking like it develops quicker and the incubation period is around 3. Does that mean you could pass it on 24 hours after getting infected? I think the answer is maybe but no one knows yet.

There are people on another Omicron thread here reporting that they had symptoms two days after they believed they were exposed. Not sure when that makes them infectious though, but you'd think at least a few hours beforehand.

Sorry I can't link but I'm attaching a picture from Sky News...

Thanks all - I will definitely test before any outings or meeting up. Can’t say that everyone I will be meeting with will be though. Especially with LFTs being in such short supply x

@ifonly4

There are people on another Omicron thread here reporting that they had symptoms two days after they believed they were exposed. Not sure when that makes them infectious though, but you'd think at least a few hours beforehand.

Up to 48 hours before. Indeed it's usually around 48 hours, but with very rapid onset (48 hours or less) it'll be a bit shorter

Once the virus is replicating in your body, you can tip over into infectiousness at any point

So the message is test before meeting people, ideally with onoyna vert short interval between test and meeting. Not the previous day, as previously though good enough (note, not perfect even then, just good enough)