Coronavirus patients are most contagious during earliest signs of symptoms

Coronavirus patients are most contagious during their first week showing symptoms, new research suggests.

The early, albeit “limited” study of nine patients in Germany found very high levels of the virus in the throat of those patients at their earliest onsets of sickness, according to the scientist behind the research published in Nature journal.

That means those who fall ill could still be going about their daily lives when they’re most contagious.

The findings could offer a glimpse into the rapid spread of the disease and provide guidance foroverwhelmed hospitals that are short on beds, the scientists said.

Many patients showing milder symptoms could safely be discharged to self-isolate at home 10 days after they first showed signs of the illness, according to the research.

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