We feel deeply for our US readers right now.

Today the Australian SBS News headline predicted 240,000 potential deaths US deaths from Covid-19. https://www.sbs.com.au/news/donald-trump-warns-very-painful-weeks-ahead-as-white-house-says-240-000-americans-could-die-of-coronavirus

This expands the numbers of the Los Angeles Times headline earlier today, warning of a minimum of 100,000 US coronavirus deaths.https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-03-31/political-squabbling-4th-coronavirus-bailout-bill-underway-but-passage-is-weeks-away

But remember the maths,(or math if you’re in the US) and take heart.

The maths

If 100 people become infected with Covid-19:

• 80 of the100 will have low level symptoms and recover quickly and well. See the figures from the ABC. https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2020-03-26/how-the-coronavirus-can-cause-serious-illness/12066396
• Between 5 and 16 of the 100 will develop respiratory symptoms that could come on very quickly. Many of these could progress rapidly to needing a ventilator. Of these some will need extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, also known as extracorporeal life support, (ECMO). For more explanation of this, go to:https://good-grief.com.au/an-intensive-care-specialists-insight/

• Three of the 100 will die. For more on mortality, go to: https://www.brookings.edu/blog/future-development/2020/03/23/a-mortality-perspective-on-covid-19-time-location-and-age/