In recent days, it was known through the Central American Population Center (CCP) of the University of Costa Rica (UCR), about a notable drop in the rate of Covid-19 contagion.
It turns out that the so-called “R” reproduction rate currently indicates the average number of new people who are infected by each already infected patient. In fact, in the most recent report, the CPP, reported that the reproduction rate dropped dramatically below the R = 1 threshold.
Previous weeks, the reproduction rate of the pandemic in CR was R = 0.82, now it remains at R = 0.77, according to data from October 19. In this regard, the CCP highlighted that these list data show that the manifest trend of the “R” rate is downward since around August 21st.
He also explained that by remaining the “R” below 1, the epidemic curve of cases and hospital occupancy may decline in significant numbers, each day the infections will gradually decrease.
Now, if the rate is higher than R = 1, it means that each generation of cases is replaced by a larger one, that is, the number of infected citizens increases over time and the outbreak is active. Therefore, it is expected that by the end of the year the cases will tend to stabilize much more.
What is the R rate?
The reproduction rate R of an epidemic outbreak is that which indicates the average number of people that each infected person infects during the entire time it is contagious. From a population perspective, the R indicates by how much each generation of infected multiplies when it is replaced by the next generation.
A rate R = 1 means that each generation of cases is replaced by another of the same size, that is, the number of infected individuals does not increase or decrease over time and the outbreak is stationary. If R is less than unity, the epidemic is on the way to extinction, but if it is greater than 1 there is proliferation, which will be exponential unless something is done to contain it.
