The COVID-19 pandemic

[danbrotherston]

Unfortunately my recent experience gives me very little faith in that number of active non-hospitalized cases.

There is no doubt that there are people with COVID-19 that have not been confirmed. In Ontario, in Canada and in other countries. But because there is no way to measure those, we need to rely on the number of active confirmed cases. Unless the test availability changes substantially, the number of active cases should still be directionally valid, even if not matching the total number of currently infected people.

This and SO much this.

I'm so tired of the "we're not testing everyone" or "I know some uncle who they wouldn't test when he had a headache" concluding with "thus the numbers we have are completely false/useless/a lie/whatever".

The numbers are not complete, it does not mean they are not useful, and it does not mean they do not show trends.

The level of stats/science/math literacy is so low, worse, the level of reading comprehension is also shockingly low.