Virus Will Put 8M Britons In Hospital

Outbreak ‘will last a year and infect 80% of Britons'

- Sam Lister

Up to eight million Britons could be hospitalised with coronavirus as the crisis is expected to last a year, according to a leaked document.

Eighty per cent of the population is likely to be infected, health experts fear.

The crisis is now expected to last until spring 2021, according to a leaked document from Public Health England. The shock figures come as Britain is on the brink of shutdown with the Government ready to close pubs, restaurants, and shops to fight coronavirus.

Pensioners aged over 70 will be asked not to go out for up to four months for their own “self-protection”. Health Secretary Matt Hancock pledged to “stop at nothing” to limit the disease’s impact and said everyone’s life will be affected.

Millions of Europeans are in lockdown, only able to leave their homes under limited circumstances. The US Federal Reserve last night cut interest rates to zero due to the virus.