5 ms·
I think R0 for the flu is usually take to be in the range 1.4-1.6 and for the common cold, 2-3. It's significant that it is quite a bit over 1, as it wouldn't s
by wbhart 6y ago
I think R0 for the flu is usually take to be in the range 1.4-1.6 and for the common cold, 2-3. It's significant that it is quite a bit over 1, as it wouldn't spread so effectively if not.
It's an exponential factor, so small differences in the value make a big difference.
On the other hand, R0 for SARS-Cov-2 has been estimated as high as 6 by some groups.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_reproduction_number https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_reproduction_number
- pmarreck 6y agoI've added more accurate R0 values, with links to source for each, for COVID19, the flu, and the cold, to my original comment: median R0 for COVID: 5.7 Flu: 1.3 Cold: 1.5 Of course, R0 is a context-sensitive value, so all this is debatable. But I think claiming COVID is 3x as contagious as the other 2 is not that far off the mark.