Virus expert: As much as 70 percent of world's population could get coronavirus

Hill March 2, 2020
Justine Coleman

A Harvard University epidemiologist says that as much as 70 percent of the world’s population could get the coronavirus.

Marc Lipsitch told CBS News in an interview airing Monday that “40 to 70 percent” of the global population could become infected with coronavirus and that it’s “almost inevitable” that the virus will impact the “entire globe.” He added that 1 percent of those who develop symptoms could die.

“That is a projection, so we will find out if it’s accurate as things go on,” Lipsitch said. “It is the best estimate that I’ve been able to make based on a combination of the mathematical models that we use to track and predict epidemics.”

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