The higher a virus’s R0, the harder it is to control in a population.

Evidence

These numbers are useful for thinking about the basic reproduction number – or infectiousness – of a virus. The Ro (reproduction) number is a mathematical term that represents the average number of people an infected person will transmit the virus to in a population with no prior immunity. So, for example, an Ro of 10 suggests that an infected individual will, on average, infect ten other people. In other words, the higher the Ro, the more difficult it is to control the virus in a population. — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof, 339

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines the basic reproduction number R0 clearly, with its three determining factors fleshed out in the next paragraph.