The reproduction rate, or ‘r value’ is a numerical measurement of the average number of people somebody infected with a virus will pass it on to. It allows scientists to evaluate how effective measures of reducing transmission within a population are, such as social distancing or wearing masks, and respond accordingly. An R rate above one can be incredibly dangerous, as it could easily snowball and subsequently cause the number of infections to increase exponentially; whilst an R rate below one could indicate that the disease is ‘slowing down’ - and may not be able to survive in the population as there are not enough infected individuals to maintain the outbreak.
For the first time since late March, the R rate for coronavirus in England has climbed above one.
Though the R rate differs from region to region, for example Scotland being the highest with values ranging from 1.1 to 1.5, the average across the whole of the UK has reached between 1.0 - 1.2 according to the Department of Health - this is the highest it has been since late March.
Previously when first introducing his multi-stage plan for the easing of lockdown measures, Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated that the R number was one of the most important factors to take into account when making the decision to progress a further stage. It still remains unclear what the government’s response will be to this recent increase of the outbreak.
Written by Emily Jenkins
Artwork by Zara Masood
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