A secret Public
Health England (PHE) briefing for senior NHS officials reveals that the coronavirus
epidemic in the UK will last until next spring and could lead to 7.9 million
people being hospitalized. The said document also suggests that as many as 80%
of Britons could become infected with the coronavirus over that time.
The document says
that: "As many as 80% of the population are expected to be infected with
Covid-19 in the next 12 months, and up to 15% (7.9 million people) may require hospitalization."
Paul Hunter, a
professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia reacted to the document,
saying: "For the public to hear that it could last for 12 months, people
are going to be really upset about that and pretty worried about that."
"A year is
entirely plausible. But that figure isn’t well appreciated or
understood," added Hunter, an expert in epidemiology.
"I think it
will dip in the summer, towards the end of June, and come back in November, in
the way that usual seasonal flu does. I think it will be around forever, but
become less severe over time, as immunity builds up," he added.
As of Sunday,
March 15, the number of coronavirus cases in the U.K. stands at 1,391, with a
death toll of 35 deaths.
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