New research says COVID-19 could kill 40,000 to 160,000 Americans; might not subside till June or July

A new study from the University of Washington School of Medicine says that the COVID-19 virus could kill a staggering number of people in the United States over the next four months.

The study also notes that the disease could spread through the summer months as well.

What are the details?

The Thomson Reuters Foundation reported the grim findings on Friday.

According to the outlet, the number of COVID-19-related hospitalizations in a majority of areas is expected to peak by the second week of April. Other states that have seen slower spread will peak in the following weeks.

The study predicted a low end of deaths at around 38,000, and a high end at around 162,000 in the U.S. alone. The disparity between high and low estimations, according to Dr. Christopher Murray — director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the school — is due to the fast spread of the virus in different areas across the country.

Murray, who also led the study, said he projects a need for social distancing for longer than generally anticipated.

At the time of this writing, there have been 1,475 deaths in the United States due to the coronavirus.

"Some people could continue to die of the virus as late as July, although deaths should be below epidemic levels of 10 per day by June at the latest, according to the analysis," the outlet reported.

The findings show that U.S. hospitals will be severely negatively impacted because of the virus.

The outlet reports, "At the epidemic's peak, sick patients could exceed the number of available hospital beds by 64,000 and could require the use of around 20,000 ventilators."

What else?

Authors of the study used government and hospital data to determine their findings.

In a statement, Murray said, "The trajectory of the pandemic will change — and dramatically for the worse — if people ease up on social distancing or relax with other precautions."