LONDON (UK) – The reproduction “R” number of COVID-19 infections in the UK has increased. The level has been such that it could now be above 1, the Government Office for Science said on Friday. It implied that the overall epidemic is growing.
The UK R number is between 0.9 and 1.1, the government said, up from 0.8-1.0 last week. The daily growth rate in total is between -3% and 1%, up from -4% to -1%.
The R number stands for the average number of people that an infected person will transfer the virus to.
An R number above 1 can lead to swift growth, although the figures are determined by local outbreaks.
The Government Office for Science said, “We have been seeing indications that these values may be increasing, with estimated ranges increasing slightly from previous publications.”
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