May 27, 2021

Serial Intervals and Case Isolation Delays for COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions

Keywords (Tags): non-pharm interventions, public health

• The serial interval for COVID-19 (the interval between successive cases in a chain of transmission) ranged from 1 to 10 days in a systematic review and meta-analysis of 56 studies including 129 estimates. A separate systematic review and meta-analysis of 18 studies found that the case isolation delay interval (delay between a case diagnosis and isolation) ranged from 1 to 13 days. In studies conducted in mainland China, pooled mean serial interval and case isolation delay intervals were longer before the epidemic peak (6.2 and 6.0 days) compared to after the peak (4.9 and 2.4 days).

Ali et al. (May 26, 2021). Serial Intervals and Case Isolation Delays for COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Clinical Infectious Diseases. https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciab491