More than 1.8 million hospital beds could be needed to treat people in an Australian coronavirus outbreak, with the country's ageing population meaning the virus could hit harder here than it has overseas.

In a worst-case scenario, at least 650,000 beds would need to be in the intensive care units of hospitals, according to Professor Raina MacIntyre, head of the Biosecurity Program at UNSW's Kirby Institute.

Australian scientists are searching for a breakthrough in the development of a coronavirus vaccine. Credit:AAP

Professor MacIntyre warned the impact on Australia of a coronavirus outbreak could be worse than it had been in China because older people, who are more susceptible to the virus, make up a greater proportion of the population.



In China, about 9 per cent of the population are over the age of 65, compared with Australia where it is about 16 per cent.