The coronavirus epidemic in the UK could last until next spring and lead to 7.9 million people being hospitalised, according to leaked documents.
The Guardian is reporting that a secret Public Health England (PHE) briefing for senior NHS officials reveals the details of how the outbreak will continue to grow.
The report also states that this is the first time health chiefs tackling the virus have admitted that they expect the outbreak to circulate for 12 months.
It is also expected that as many as 80% of Britons will become infected with the virus over that time, leading to a huge extra strain on an already overstretched NHS.
The government’s chief medical adviser, Prof Chris Whitty, had previously gone on record and said that the figure in question was the worst-case scenario for the government and suggested that the real number would turn out to be less than that.
But the leaked document says: “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 hospitalisation.”
The document also states that:
- The health service cannot cope with the sheer number of people with symptoms who need to be tested because laboratories are “under significant demand pressures”.
- From now on only the very seriously ill who are already in hospital and people in care homes and prisons where the coronavirus has been detected will get tested.
- Testing services are under such strain that even NHS staff will not be swabbed, despite their key role and the risk of them passing the virus on to patients.
Should the leaked document be correct, then it would have huge ramification on the football season.
Already Fixtures across the Premier League and the EFL have been suspended until the start of April but the expectation is that an extension is on the cards, with experts warning the worst of the coronavirus outbreak is yet to come.
A host of European leagues have also been suspended, while the FA confirmed on Friday that all upcoming FA Cup games have been postponed until further notice.
Premier League clubs are scheduled to meet on Thursday to discuss their next move and how to deal with the ongoing outbreak.
But if the information below is correct, then it could be a long time before fans can see their sides back in action.
