Coronavirus: What is ‘R0’, or reproduction number?

News:Researchers are calculating mathematical figure ‘R0’ to understand the nature of transmission of Coronavirus,

Facts:

• Basic reproduction number(R0):It measures the rate at which a virus is transmitted based on the average number of people who will contract the virus from a person who has already been infected.R0= new infections/existing infections
• Example:If the number of people diagnosed with a disease increases from four to eight in two days,it is likely to increase to 16 two days later, or in four days from the start.This makes the R0 two.Hence,higher the R0, the more contagious the infection.