Rnaught is an R package and web application for estimating the basic reproduction number @@ -13,15 +13,15 @@
- The basic reproduction number, denoted R0, describes the expected number of infections caused by a - single infectious individual. It assumes that all individuals in a given population are susceptible to the disease, - and that no preventive measures (such as lockdowns or vaccinations) have been enforced. As such, it is a useful - indicator of the transmissibility of a disease during the early stages of its detection. + The basic reproduction number, denoted R0, is defined as the expected number of infections caused by a + single infectious individual when introduced into a totally susceptible population. It assumes that all individuals in a given population are susceptible to the disease, + and that no preventive measures (such as lockdowns or vaccinations) have been enforced. It is a useful + indicator of the transmissibility of an infectious disease during the early stages of its spread and detection.
If R0 < 1, then the disease will eventually die out. On the other hand, if - R0 > 1, the rate at which the disease spreads is exponential. Typically, it is difficult to - determine R0 precisely, due to uncertainty in information relating to the spread of the disease. - Therefore, many estimation methods exist, each based on their own models and yielding different estimates. It is the - responsibility of public health officials to employ the most appropriate estimator given the situation at hand. + R0 > 1, the disease will spread (the higher the R0, the faster this will happen). Due to uncertainty of known data about the disease, it is difficult to + determine R0 precisely. + Therefore, many estimation methods exist, each based on different assumptions and yielding different estimates. It is the + responsibility of users to employ the most appropriate estimator (or suite of estimators) given the situation at hand.