While many leaders tried to downplay the severity of Covid-19, Merkel did not hesitate to say the harsh truth that 70% of Germans could be infected with nCoV.

"We have to understand that many people will get sick. Experts estimate that as long as the virus exists, 60-70% of the population will be infected," German Chancellor Angela Merkel said at a press conference on March 11. In Berlin, it was noted that people are not immune to nCoV, nor are there any vaccines and therapies, while the number of cases is growing exponentially.

Ms Merkel said the most important thing is to curb the spread of nCoV to give people more time to develop the immune system, while avoiding overloading the health care system.

According to commentators Katrin Bennhold and Melissa Eddy of NY Times, Merkel's warning is a stark contrast to the claims of "bending the truth" of many other world leaders, including US President Donald Trump. . He said that nCoV will disappear when the weather warms up, even comparing Covid-19 with the annual seasonal flu in the US.

However, Trump on March 11 abruptly banned travel from 26 European countries to the US, except the UK, within 30 days to prevent the spread of nCoV. In Trump's most public acknowledged speech about the severity of the disease, he criticized the European Union (EU) for the virus to spread to the United States for not taking full precautions.

While visiting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta on March 6, Trump said he "probably possessed a natural ability" in science. As for Merkel, she spent many years in scientific research before moving on to politics and a PhD in quantum chemistry.

The seemingly cold and vulgar information that the German Chancellor put forward is the opinion of experts. She also regularly consulted Health Minister Jens Spahn and German scientists who have closely followed the Covid-19 movement since the first outbreak of the disease in Bavaria in January.

As the epidemic in Germany became more serious, with nearly 2,000 cases of nCoV and three deaths, the media and opposition turned the "nose" on Mrs Merkel, who was weakening. However, with her speech on 11/3, the Prime Minister once again showed her role as a "rock" in European politics during the past 14 years.

She was the one who reassured bank account holders during the 2008 financial crisis and won their trust, uniting the euro area when the public debt crisis erupted, protecting free values with decided to "open arms" to over a million migrants in 2015.

"That approach is Merkel's long-standing characteristic. She demonstrates leadership when the crisis strikes, tries to reassure people, avoid panic, but at the same time dare to speak the truth and not take it down." low the severity of the problem, "said Andrea Roemmele, a professor of political science at Hertie University in Berlin.

This seems to be the target of the German Chancellor when appearing on 11/3. Her speech did not include great promises, but rather a wake-up call to the country. She urged people to raise their awareness, obey restrictive orders, and unite with each other for the common good.

Soccer matches will take place without an audience. Big events with large crowds were canceled. If necessary, Germany can even postpone the budget balancing plan that it has cherished and accepted to borrow more.

"We must take all necessary measures. It is the political responsibility of the government and everyone, the same is true of all 83 million citizens living in the country. We have to protect." "This is a test of our solidarity, sense and kindness. I hope we will overcome it," Merkel said.

In an interview later, the German Chancellor said she wanted to make people aware of the immense impact of the pandemic virus outbreak, and made it clear that they were "unable to deliver." solutions in all areas ". "The message is that we will do the necessary work together within Europe," she said.

Experts say the overall infection rate in a country is difficult to predict, but it is estimated that between 60-70% is consistent with reality in some parts of the world. "Industry insiders have been saying that 30-60% of the world's population will be infected with nCoV for over a month," said Dr. Elizabeth Halloran, a biologist at the University of Washington, USA.

However, Halloran and many other experts think that the estimate Merkel made is likely to be the absolute level of infection. The actual infection rate depends on the prevention of epidemics, such as social isolation to reduce the spread of the virus.

"In my opinion, the rate of the population will be about 30-50%. This is the number you get when the disease has infected enough people and disappeared," Alessandro Vespignani, professor of health science at Northeastern University in Boston, USA, comments.

However, the expert did not rule out the possibility that two-thirds of the population in some parts of the world could be infected in the worst case, depending on how long the virus was raging before being prevented.

"In short, those numbers are part of the probable circumstances," Vespignani said.