R0 = βN/(α + b + v) In that formulation, β represents the transmission rate. β is the letter beta, in case you’re not a mathematician or a Greek. Here it’s a multiplier in the single expression that stands as numerator of the fraction, a strong position. What that means is, when β changes muchly, R0 changes muchly. And R0, your good memory tells you, is the measure of whether an outbreak will take off.
