Scientists: coronavirus may claim around 200 lives in Lithuania

The novel coronavirus may claim around 200 lives in Lithuania and the strain on hospitals is likely to peak in early May, according to a forecast released by Vilnius University scientists on Friday.

The spread of COVID-19 will depend very much on the use of protective measures, they noted.

"Total deaths: 208," reads a slide that Professor Remigijus Leipus presented as a "realistic scenario".

If the forecast proves correct, the COVID-19 virus will kill eight times as many people as seasonal flu, which claimed 26 lives in Lithuania in the 2018-2019 season.

The “pessimistic scenario” presented by the scientists predicts 247 deaths from the coronavirus in Lithuania.

The coronavirus outbreak in the country is forecast to peak in late April to early May.

"The number of ill people and the strain on hospitals should be at their highest around early May," Leipus said at a news conference.