At least 350,000 Americans are likely to die from the coronavirus in 2020 even if current social-distancing practices continue for many more months, according to a study conducted by the Comparative Health Outcomes, Policy and Economics Institute at the University of Washington's School of Pharmacy, The Hill reported on Tuesday.
The study warned that deaths could be as many as 1.2 million Americans by the end of the year.
The research, based on case counts and outcomes in 116 counties in 33 states, arrived at its estimates by calculating that 1.3 percent of those who show symptoms of the coronavirus die.
Anirban Basu, a health economist at the University of Washington who authored the study, pointed out that this rate is 13 times higher than a bad influenza season, telling Health Affairs that "This is a staggering number, which can only be brought down with sound public health measures."
He added that "The infection fatality ratio estimate is itself dynamic in nature… depending on the demographics where the infections will be spreading. It is possible, as the infection spreads to more rural counties of the country, the overall infection fatality rate will increase due to the lack of access to necessary health care delivery.”
In addition, Basu said that the current figures of some 90,000 American deaths and 1.5 million people in the United States having contracted the coronavirus most probably undercount the numbers.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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