WUHAN, CHINA — Chinese Researchers find that the novel coronavirus epidemic doubled in size every 7.4 days during the initial outbreak from December last year to early this month.<br /><br />The statistical study published in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests human to human transmission occurred early in the outbreak's beginning.<br /><br />Examining the first 425 confirmed cases of coronavirus infection, the scientists estimate that the mean incubation period was 5.2 days.<br /><br />Before January 1, 2020, 55 percent of the symptomatic cases were linked to the Wuhan wet market, but just 8.6 percent of the subsequent cases were connected to the market."<br /><br />The authors say that it is clear that human-to-human transmission is occurring and that the epidemic has been spreading in recent weeks.<br /><br />MedPage Today reports that virus' reproductive number of 2.2 means a carrier will infect two people on average, which is more than Ebola.<br /><br />Citing Infectious Diseases Society of America, the outlet reports that the reproductive number is situational and quarantining a patient could reduce the number to zero.
