(1) One coronavirus patient can infect 59,000 people – compared to 14 with flu, according to an expert, Dr Hugh Montgomery, who is a professor of intensive care medicine at University College London.

Dr Montgomery has warned on how ignoring social distancing can lead to a major rise in infection rates, saying a person can infect 59,000 people.

Chinese experts say a person infects 3,500 people.

Speaking to Channel 4’s Dispatches, he said: “Normal flu, if I get that, I’m going to infect on average, about 1.3, 1.4 people – if there was such a division.

“And if those 1.3, 1.4 people gave it to the next lot, that’s the second time it gets passed on.

“By the time that’s happened ten times, I’ve been responsible for about 14 cases of flu.

“This coronavirus is very, very infectious, so every person passes it to three.

“This coronavirus is very, very infectious, so every person passes it to three.

“Now that doesn’t sound like much of a difference, but if each of those three passes it to three, and that happens at ten layers, I have been responsible for infecting 59,000 people.”

He said while most people are going to feel a bit unwell, they will recover, but by not self-isolating themselves, they will spread it around.

He continued: “A few will get sick,at about day ten of their illness, so they will need to come to a hospital.

“When they’re in a hospital they will consume resources and time, and people will look after them quite rightly.”

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