According to the search results, the incubation period for COVID-19 can vary depending on the variant and other factors. The average incubation period for COVID-19 is 5 days, and symptoms may appear 2 to 14 days after exposure to the virus. However, studies of the Omicron variant have estimated a shorter incubation period of 3.42 days. Another study found that the mean virus incubation period during the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.5–dominant period in Japan was 2.6 days. Its important to note that people can test positive for COVID-19 more quickly than they were in 2020 when the average incubation period was five days. It's also important to wear a high-quality mask around others for 10 days and receive a test five days after exposure to COVID-19.