Covid-19 data: Making sense of R, Ro and herd immunity – The Wall Street Journal
Until Covid-19 struck the world, most of us had never encountered R. Now, many of us are speaking about R as though we really understand why it must drop below one. Some of us have been getting hot-under-the-collar about whether herd immunity should be encouraged. But how much do we really know about these statistical concepts that have entered the mainstream lexicon as governments try to explain why entire nations must remain under the equivalent of house arrest in order to re-shape a curve that tracks the spread of the deadly coronavirus? The Wall Street Journal demystifies these all-important concepts and introduces us to Ro, so the next time we engage in Covid-19 debate, we are better equipped to assess the danger. – Jackie Cameron
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