Congressional Doctor Brian Monahan Estimates Between 70 To 150 Million Americans Will Get Coronavirus

Dr. Brian Monahan, the in-house doctor for Congress, told Capitol Hill staffers in a closed-door meeting Tuesday that he estimates that around 70 to 150 million Americans will contract the coronavirus – about one third of the country.

Monahan briefed Senate chiefs of staff, staff directors, administrative managers and chief clerks from both Republican and Democratic parties that they should prepare for the worst.

Many members of the House and Senate fit the profile for people contracting the virus so far – people over age 60, suffering from underlying health conditions and coming in contact with many – including visitors, staffers and reporters.

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There are no imminent plans to close Congress.

Monahan stated that about 80 percent of those infected would recover.

Additional sources, such as Marc Lipsitch, a Harvard epidemiologist, have utilized statistical modeling to predict that somewhere between 20 and 60 percent of Americans will catch the coronavirus – these figures, however, include mild cases and people who will rehabilitate with ease, and he predicts that one percent will die.

In the U.S., the number of cases spiked last week to reach levels of more than 1,030 confirmed infections across at least 36 states, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.