Expert warns half of UK already infected with coronavirus

According to Oxford medical researchers, coronavirus may have already been in the UK since January with almost half the population already infected.

New modelling by the Oxford researchers suggests coronavirus had spread across the UK by mid-January, which could indicate most people, potentially have possibly been exposed, and could now have gained immunity against the virus.

Dr Sunetra Gupta, professor of theoretical epidemiology said, “We need immediately to begin large-scale serological surveys, antibody testing to assess what stage of the epidemic we are in now.”

According to the Mail Online, they suggest the true amount of people who have coronavirus could be as much as “400,000.”

Because the “government have hidden the scale of the outbreak, as many have not been tested.”

The government’s chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty has said coronavirus can “theoretically mutate” and could “become even more dangerous.”

Speaking at a press conference in London Dr Whitty said, “With the strong caveat this is speculative science, we would expect the virus to mutate because all viruses do mutate.

“The question is whether those mutations are relevant.”

Professor Francois Balloux, of University College London warned the government’s chief scientific advisor, Sir Patrick Vallance, that his approach to the virus is a “big gamble.”

Professor Balloux told MailOnline, “In the absence of intervention, I would expect between 20 to 30% of the population will be infected by the summer.”

If the Professor is accurate, then 20m people will be infected with coronavirus by mid-June.

Sir Patrick said last week at Downing Street that roughly 60% of the UK must catch the virus to build up a “collective immunity.”

But, Professor Balloux, “We won’t hit 60% by mid-June. There’s no way. If we do, it’ll be an apocalypse.”

The true cause of how the coronavirus spread has been revealed by Chinese scientists who have broken cover and said the oubreak started in a science laboratory in Wuhan yards away from a wet market.

They have sensationally spoke out and said the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan was due to the scientists researching bat diseases and could be responsible.