At its lowest estimated fatality are based on current data, Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus,
is thought to kill some 1-2% of known patients, compared to around 0.1% for winter influenza.
The coronavirus also appears to be about as infectious as the flu, and potentially more so, especially as there are no specific treatment, cure or seasonal vaccine.
There is one area in which experts hope the virus will still behave like influenza, however, by tapering off in spring.