Most other infections that we know [have a higher R naught] than that but we control them with vaccines so we don’t notice that they are so high,” said Lipsitch, who added it may take weeks before scientists have a firm grasp on how contagious the new virus truly is.The virus could also begin to lessen in some parts of the world as spring and summer approach and the weather gets warmer. University of Hong Kong researchers estimate the disease will peak in April.However, Lipsitch said there is evidence of transmission before symptoms. If that turns out to be the case, isolating individuals will not be effective in curbing transmission, he said.“It’ll be group-level interventions like keeping people away in bulk rather than in individual cases,” he said.