Patients who contract norovirus infections experience symptoms for roughly the same amount of time, independent of age or virus strain, according to new research from the University of Georgia College of Public Health in Athens.
Researchers expected differences in healthcare setting, age, means of transmission or other individual or environmental factors to impact the incubation period of the infection and the length of time patients experienced symptoms.
Contrary to the researchers' expectations, the study findings indicated otherwise.
"If you get norovirus, 32 hours is on average how long it takes from being exposed to having symptoms, and 44 hours is on average how long you have the symptoms — pretty much no matter what," said Andreas Handel, PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology, and an author of the study.
Dr. Handel and co-authors of the study analyzed large outbreaks of norovirus infections, examining patient details, outbreak setting and other relevant measures to find what factors showed a meaningful association with the duration of the time until symptoms show up and the duration of symptoms.
Understanding the incubation period and duration of norovirus symptoms is vital to developing infection control methods and evaluating the impact of a potential norovirus vaccine that is in development, according to the study.
In concert with the University of Georgia, the study was conducted by Emory University in Atlanta and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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