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R Naught
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The “R naught” is a mathematical term that measures the reproduction rate of a virus, and how contagious it is. It is the average number of people one person with the virus will transmit it to. For example, if the R naught of a virus is 15, then on average each person will transmit the virus to 15 other people. The R Naught only applies to a population if: no one has been vaccinated, no one has had the disease before, and if there is no way to control the spread of the disease.
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The R naught for COVID-19 in the United States is estimated to be about 5.7. This means that without quarantine, social distancing, or any protective measures, each person infected with COVID-19 would likely infect between 5-6 other people.
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