The COVID-19 incubation period, which is the time between when a person is exposed to the virus and when their symptoms first appear, ranges from 1 to 14 days. Most people develop symptoms 5 to 6 days after being in contact with a person with COVID-19. Australia's national COVID-19 public health guidelines use a 14-day incubation period to inform many public health measures, such as quarantine and isolation.