A NOTE ON THE BASIC REPRODUCTION NUMBER: NOVEL CORONA VIRUS (2019-nCOV)

Abstract

The basic reproductive number, R 0, is the expected number of secondary infections produced by a single individual during his or her entire infectious period, in a completely susceptible population. This concept is fundamental to the study of epidemiology and within-host pathogen dynamics. It is often used as a threshold parameter that can predicts whether an infection will spread or not. Since the outbreak of 2019 novel corona virus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan and other cities of China the growth and spread of this disease is of a growing global concern. Many studies have been carried out and are continued to be carried to model the spread and subsequent control of the disease. In this paper, we give a brief overview of common methods of formulating R 0 from deterministic, non-structured models. Finally, we survey the recent use of R 0 in assessing the spread of novel corona virus