Introduction incubation period for COVID-19, 2-14 (average 5-6) days. Timing of onset of COVID-19 signs and symptoms amongst cases in Uganda is however not known. Methods we utilized data on real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) confirmed cases to investigate symptom onset timing, from 21 st March to 4 th September 2020. Since timing of COVID-19 symptom onset is highly likely to be an interval rather than a point estimate, we generated 3-tertile categories: 1 st , 2 nd and 3 rd tertile denoting symptom presentation within 3, 4 to 6 and at least 7 days. We considered all signs and symptoms in the database and analysed using Chi-square test and multinomial logistic regression, controlling for age and sex. Results we analysed a total of 420 symptomatic case-patients; 72.0% were males, median age of 33 years. Common symptoms were cough (47.6%), running nose (46.2%), fever (27.4%), headache (26.4%) and sore throat (20.5%). We utilized 293 cases with clinical symptom onset date recorded. Most of the patients, 37.5%, presented symptom within 3 days, 31.4% had symptoms in the 2 nd and 31.4% in 3 rd tertile, denoting 4 to 6 days and at least 7 days after exposure. Running nose (RRR=0.45, 95%CI: 0.24-0.84) and chest pain (RRR=0.64, 95%CI: 0.09-0.72) were more likely to occur in 3 rd tertile than 1 st or 2 nd tertile. Cases aged ≥20 years were less likely to have symptoms in the 1 st and 2 nd tertile compared to ≤20 years (p<0.05). Conclusion our study provides empirical evidence for epidemiological characterization of cases by signs and symptoms which complements current proposals for the length of active monitoring of persons exposed to SARS-CoV-2.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Uganda, Incubation period, 【초록키워드】 complement, Symptom, cough, headache, RT-PCR, database, symptomatic, Fever, epidemiological, reverse transcription, patients, Evidence, chest pain, COVID-19 symptom, sore throat, confirmed case, symptom onset, clinical symptom, median age, average, multinomial logistic regression, Chi-square, MOST, males, common, polymerase chain, running nose, Result, analysed, provide, less, occur, recorded, age and sex, 【제목키워드】 confirmed case, reported, onset of symptom,