You are right, it is a bit sensationalized. The 1.4M-by-Jan projection from the CDC is the highest currently and also seems to be the least official. CDC has stated this as a "worst case" scenario with no intervention. It's hard to find the source material from CDC but it has been parroted since last week. I think it may have been a remark from a CDC scientist but not an official release. It's worth considering other estimates

- WHO says 21,000 by mid January

- NEJM says ~10,000 by mid January http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1411100?query=fea...