Quote Originally Posted by The Lone Gunman View Post
Although the 'R' number hasn't exactly been a regular topic of conversation with the people I've been encountering during the last ten weeks, when it has been discussed (admittedly only on a couple of occasions with a small group of people) the verdict has been unanimous - confusing, don't really get it, etc.

Today, Englands deputy chief medical officer said live on TV: "This virus has a natural R number of 3. One case will infect three more people."

That'll do for me and, I suspect, most others.
Its a virus looking for hosts, and unchallenged itll move from one host to three others, mainly through close human to human contact. In relatively few moves it can spread rapidly 1 infects 3, 3-9, 9-27, 27-54 etc

By reducing human to human contact, plus good hygiene we reduce the chance of it finding hosts, to the degree that one person with virus spreads it, on average, to less than one person, so eventually it cant find hosts and disappears. The balance easing lockdown is to ensure that we keep the chances of it infecting people under control...ie R less than 1