How can we use mathematics to model the spread of a disease?

The doubling time of a disease is the time it takes for the number of cases of the disease to double. How do you calculate it?

What is the growth rate and what does it tell us about an epidemic?

Mathematics plays a central role in understanding how infectious diseases spread. This collection of articles looks at some basic concepts in epidemiology to help you understand this fascinating and important field, and set you up for further study.

What is herd immunity and what does it have to do with a number called R?

What do we mean when we say that something grows exponentially?

A mathematical, and personal, look into how we all had to balance the different harms of the virus and the steps we took against it.

Was the mathematical modelling projecting the course of the pandemic too pessimistic, or were the projections justified? Matt Keeling tells our colleagues from SBIDER about the COVID models that fed into public policy.

Some diseases spread far more quickly in care homes and other settings with vulnerable people. How can maths help? And what help does maths need?

Invading mosquitoes and food poisoning in the production chain — there are a lot of questions epidemiologists address in their research.

Was vaccinating vulnerable people first a good choice? Hindsight allows us to assess this question.

What are the challenges of communicating from the frontiers of mathematical research, and why should we be doing it?