Figure 1  Values of R0 and k most compatible with the estimated size of the 2019 novel coronavirus epidemic in China, on 18 January 2020
The basic reproduction number R0 quantifies human-to-human transmission. The dispersion parameter k quantifies the risk of a superspreading event (lower values of k are linked to a higher probability of superspreading). Note that the probability density of k implies a log10 transformation.