"Tonight on the 7.30 report they claimed that if the virus...

"Tonight on the 7.30 report they claimed that if the virus mutated that it was possible that 2.8 million australians could contract it with 13,000 dieing.

This is less than half a per cent.

With presently more than 50% of the people who contract the disease dieing how can they possibly come to this conclusion?"

I think it is because in order for the virus to spread it becomes less virulent, like the Spanish Flu, it was only 5%. The fact that this now a 50% fatality rate is an indication that it is quite obviously a deadly & not your ordinary flu.