UK's coronavirus infection reproduction rate is between 0.6 and 0.9

Amid the unprecedented outbreak of deadly coronavirus, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has confirmed on May 5 that the COVID-19 disease reproduction rate in the country is now less than one. According to reports, Johnson has also credited the nationwide lockdown for pushing down the R0 (R-nought) number, that indicates how many people are infected on an average by the people who tested positive of coronavirus. Higher R0 number indicates a more drastic spread of the novel virus. 

British government’s Chief Scientific Advisor, Sir Patrick Vallance has reportedly claimed that UK’s R0 lies between 0.6 to 0.9 and ‘probably somewhere between 0.5 and 0.7 ‘ in London. He also noted that the reproduction rate of COVID-19 infections in the country remains uneven. In the daily briefing by the Downing Street, Vallance has said that recording the R0 of the country is ‘really important going forward’ because it shows the number of active infections of a random population survey. Meanwhile, the UK currently has 161,506 total active cases of the novel virus and has recorded 28,734 fatalities, as of May 5.

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‘Passed the peak’

While UK Prime Minister claimed that the UK has ‘passed the peak’ of coronavirus infections in the country, he also called for international cooperation to find a vaccine to the coronavirus disease. The UK hosted a virtual conference for the global response to coronavirus outbreak on May 4 along with eight other countries and organisations where Johnson said that it is “virus against the humanity”. While confirming the pledge of £388 million from the UK to aid the COVID-19 vaccine research, UK PM said that finding the cure of the disease “is not a competition but the most urgent shared endeavour” for people.  

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