The UK Public Health England (PHE) agency issued a document that includes a projection for the ongoing spread of the Wuhan coronavirus across Britain, Sky News reported.
The PBE document, seen by the British broadcaster, highlighted several serious vulnerabilities in the nation's healthcare system that could lead to a spike in coronavirus cases in the very near future.
"Laboratory capacity is growing steadily but remains under significant demand pressures", the PBR report said, stressing that British healthcare staffers - who allegedly show symptoms of the pneumonia-type infection - would not necessarily all be tested, according to Sky News.
The PHE directly indicates that the coronavirus pandemic could see up to 7.9 million people infected, if the current healthcare situation does not change.
"PHE used reasonable worse-case scenario figures, to restate the importance for people with symptoms to stay at home, including health care workers in order to reduce the spread of the virus", Dr Susan Hopkins, deputy director of PHE's national infection service said, cited by Sky News.
BREAK: #CoronaVirus epidemic in UK will last until next spring and could lead to 7.9m people being hospitalised - Public Health England briefing for senior NHS officials obtained by Guardian
— Darren McCaffrey (@DarrenEuronews) March 15, 2020
Suggests as many as 80% of Britons becoming infected with the virus over that time
Earlier, UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock called on representatives of British business to increase the production of necessary medical equipment.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to address British manufacturers in a bid to set out what they can do to tackle the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
