2020-02-23

Coronavirus: Rest of World Still Accelerating, China Numbers Flatten

While I do believe China could have a handle on the coronavirus outbreak, the case for data manipulation grows. Now the recovery rate looks too low for their reported numbers. Recovery numbers have flatlined just as the case growth flatlined. They shoud be spiking though. Mid-month the Chinese began counting clinical diagnoses as confirmed cases, leading to an increase of more than 15,000. A clinically diagnoses patient would have to be presenting symptoms. Unless all of those became severe cases, there should be a similar jump in recovered patients by now, but there isn't.

Meanwhile, the rest of the world has experienced three major outbreaks in Italy, Iran and South Korea. Case growth is doubling about every four days. It will likely see far higher growth as nations that do not test begin looking for the virus. The United States, for example, only has test kits in 3 states. The CDC guidelines tell doctors to ask if patients have been to China or have been in contact with someone who was in China. If the virus is already spreading locally, they're not looking for it and they're not counting. While the U.S. reported numbers are true, what they are not counting will be the real story if there's an outbreak.

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