A new study has predicted that the global death toll from coronavirus could reach as high as 15million and the global economy will take a $2.3 trillion hit from coronavirus even in the best-case pandemic scenario.
According to the Daily Mail, the research data by the Australian National University show that in the most disastrous scenario, the death toll could reach a staggering 68million and some countries’ economies would shrink by as much as eight per cent in a global meltdown.
The research paper was published by Warwick McKibbin and Roshen Fernando, who warn that ‘even a contained outbreak could significantly impact the global economy in the short run’.
Just to confirm that in our study on COV19, our scenarios were not forecasts but were ‘what if’ assumptions to understand the implications for policy makers of different possible assumptions
— Warwick McKibbin AO (@WarwickMcKibbin) March 3, 2020
The researchers estimated that India and China could each lose millions of people. While the United States could expect to see 230,000 fatalties, 64000 are expected to die in Britain which has only seen one death so far. The study also predicted 79,000 deaths in Germany and 60,000 in France.
The researchers estimated that India and China would each lose millions of people.
If the research is to be believed South Korea and Italy, which have suffered particularly widespread outbreaks in recent weeks, would also be bracing for tens of thousands of deaths.
The study further concluded that Britain’s GDP would drop by around 1.5 per cent, with America’s economy shrinking by 2.0 per cent and the global economy would take a $2.3 trillion hit.
Britain’s GDP would drop by around 1.5 per cent, with America’s economy shrinking by 2.0 per cent and the global economy would take a $2.3billion hit.
According to the researchers’ data, the dead would include more than 12million people in China alone where as Russia’s fatality count would also be approaching a million in that scenario.
Researchers say that the probability of any of their projected outcomes are ‘highly uncertain’.
It must be mentioned here that the current global death toll is 3,383 out of 98,703 confirmed cases. Though most of the cases are from China, but the virus has been spreading faster in other hotspots such as Italy, Iran and South Korea in recent weeks.