The coronavirus epidemic in the UK could last until spring 2021 and see nearly 8 million people being hospitalized, according to a secret briefing for senior National Health Service (NHS) officials by Public Health England (PHE).
The document, seen by The Guardian newspaper, shows public health officials expect the virus to be present in the country for at least another 12 months. It was drawn up over the last few days by PHE’s emergency preparedness and response team and approved as accurate by Dr. Susan Hopkins, PHE’s lead official dealing with the outbreak, according to the publication.