Incubation period | How contagious is pneumonia?

Incubation period

The incubation period describes the time in which a person already carries the pathogen in himself, but the disease it causes has not yet broken out. This explains why a general incubation period for pneumonia can not be called.This depends on the individual pathogen the person is infected with. In case of an infection with the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae, the incubation period can be as short as one day.

Other pathogens can cause an incubation period of over a month. Most pathogens that can cause pneumonia, however, have an incubation period of 1-3 weeks. Even in the case of infection with a virus is difficult to specify the incubation period.

In addition to the individual pathogen, the body’s immune system is also responsible for the duration of the incubation period. A weak immune system can control a pathogen sometimes only for hours before a pneumonia breaks out, whereas a strong immune system keeps some pathogens initially for weeks in check and the disease breaks out after one month nevertheless. In general, however, it is true that a person who is infected with a pathogen, although the disease has not yet broken out, is still potentially contagious for his environment.

How can you avoid infection?

In general, pneumonia does not count as a highly contagious disease for normally healthy people. For example, an infection of an otherwise healthy patient with a strong immune system is not likely even if the patient is in direct contact with a sick person. In order to avoid infection in case of pneumonia in the surrounding area, the basic rules of hygiene should be followed.

Regular hand washing and, preferably, disinfecting of the hands as well as strict avoidance of close physical contact with an infected person are part of these rules. Immunocompromised persons should also avoid large gatherings of people to avoid infection. A vaccination against certain pathogens can be useful.

Whether the vaccination can be recommended individually should be discussed with a doctor. In some cases, vaccination against certain bacteria is legally required, for example, when it concerns risk groups such as medical staff.