Coronavirus in numbers - Nations

[Jason W]

Thank you for your illustration, however the R number is more important the greater the number of current cases - a high R number in a small number of total cases is easier to control by local lock downs whereas a low R number in a high number of total current cases is more difficult to control. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-52632369

The headline in the telegraph sums it up nicely

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/06...y-measure/

[Sam]

Both of you are IMHO right. The R number can be scary at its peak but the most important bit is to get the number as low as possible right the next day/week. We had recently the same situation on the island. 14 new cases, followed by 11. Just a spike, the R number was over the roof but came back down again.
I understand, COVID is nowhere near to be over but instead of panicking, zoom out and look at the bigger picture. Panic isn't going to help but having a respect to the R number might help us to manage the virus a bit better.

[milestone11]

Thank you for your illustration, however the R number is more important the greater the number of current cases - a high R number in a small number of total cases is easier to control by local lock downs whereas a low R number in a high number of total current cases is more difficult to control. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-52632369

The headline in the telegraph sums it up nicely

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/06...y-measure/

With that statement, we're in agreement. However, I would not hold truck with very much Ross Clark says. The R number is not something that is being plucked out of the sky, scientists calculate the R based upon short/medium term historical data that has been collated over previous weeks.

The ideal situation is to maintain an R of, preferably below, 1, the German figure of 2.88 is sufficiently high to cause concern. No government in their right mind would report an R of 2.88 unless they were convinced that it was accurate. It follows, that there will likely be a negative effect on their economy as well as bringing alarm to the population until they have the reproduction under control. Which it currently isn't.

Large increases in short periods, like we have had, will have little significant change on our R because of circumstance, the same would not necessarily apply however, if there were to be a general rise in infections with the advent of more tourists arriving. This, for sure, is something that the government is going to have to watch very closely. Stories I am hearing would suggest very much otherwise, sadly.