Basic Reproduction Number

The Basic Reproduction Number, or R₀, measures how many people one infected individual is likely to infect in a completely susceptible population. If R₀ is greater than 1, the infection can spread widely; if it's less than 1, the outbreak will likely decline and eventually stop. Think of it as the average number of new cases generated by each infected person at the start of an outbreak. R₀ helps public health officials understand the potential severity of a disease and informs strategies to control its spread.