FoM:L3 - Spread and Control of viruses

Question 1

What is fomite transmission?

Answer 1

via inert surfaces

Question 2

Summarise the distributions and transmission of different viruses (enveloped/non-enveloped)

Answer 2

• Faecal oral: non-
  enveloped
• Skin: infect the skin through abrasions
  (papilloma viruses). non-enveloped.
• Respiratory: Some are non-enveloped (e.g. Rhinovirus), others enveloped (e.g. Influenza)
• All other routes are dominated by enveloped viruses (nice pH neutral
  fluid environments).

Question 3

What is R?

Answer 3

• Reproductive number
• average number of successful transmissions per infectious individual in the population

Question 4

What is basic R?

Answer 4

R when the entire population is naïve

Question 5

What is effective R?

Answer 5

R at any time (t) during an epidemic

Question 6

What does the R number mean?

Answer 6

R>1- disease is maintained and can expand in population
R<1 - disease cannot persist