[cherry]

you can’t rely on any numbers because each state seems to count in a different way....take NYC for example....they’re counting without even a test....

[lowbuck]

You identify the real problem. . . the “numbers” being used to hype and spread this panic do not allow one to compare apples to apples.

NYC and Northern Italy have, apparently, very high death rates from COVID but how do they define what caused the death. Germany (where I live) have a fairly low death rate attributed to COVID.

We read of hospitals and ICU’s overwhelmed yet we also hear of hospitals empty.

To me, none of this panic makes sense, other than early on when it was apparent that it appeared to spread easily why did we not shelter our old and sick and let the young and healthy get on with life and care for them as we have done for bad seasonal flu's?

[DiogenesLamp]

you can’t rely on any numbers because each state seems to count in a different way....take NYC for example....they’re counting without even a test....

During the 1916 flu, they didn't do tests either. They counted bodies, and figured they died from the flu. I think that was a pretty fair guess.