These are up-to-date values for Rt, a key measure of how fast the virus is growing. It’s the average number of people who become infected by an infectious person.
My state (Montana) currently has the highest Rt of 1.36.
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Places that have strictly followed WHO’s guidelines, including my province, have had very good control of the virus so far. Our health authorities have pretty much been echoing exactly what the WHO says, including statements to wear masks when physical distancing is not possible and not making masks in public mandatory (due to lack of evidence that masks in other situations are necessary). So far, we’ve flattened our curve and managed to keep it flat for two months while slowly reopening. That may change now that people seem to be getting a little too complacent (gathering in groups for parties, not wearing masks indoors, making less effort to stay distanced). But the guidelines the WHO provides have worked extremely well so far in places where governments and citizens have actually followed them.
Our health authorities have recently started using a “layer up” messaging to convey this. Each additional measure we take is an additional safety layer between us and the virus. I think this is good messaging as people start to interact with the world more. The tricky part for those of us with underlying conditions is figuring out how many layers we’re comfortable with, especially in cases like diabetes, where so much is still unknown.
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Thanks for sharing, interesting stats. My state is only slightly better.
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Thank you for a clear clarifying explanation.
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