Researchers from Lancaster University in England estimated the virus’s R naught may be closer to 3.1, saying “current clinical and epidemiological data are insufficient to understand the full extent of the transmission potential of the epidemic” and the outbreak comes “at a time when there is a substantial increase in travel volume” due to the Lunar New Year holiday.Researchers at the University of Hong Kong say more than 75,000 individuals could already be infected with the virus, much higher than the official total. Raymond James analyst Chris Meekins believes infections are likely above 100,000.“Based on the current trajectory of the virus, [the R naught] should be higher than SARS,” Huang said.