“the CDC estimated about 80,000 flu deaths last year...”
Even if I would agree that the “official number” was less than the media touted 700,000 I would have serious doubts about the “CDC estimated” 80,000. The CDC is supposed to be a scientific based organization and can only come up with estimates? Like the EPA finding 2 birds dead as a result of flying into wind turbines and then extrapolating for a total of 50,000,000 dying in California.
Influenza is not a reportable disease, except in children. So the CDC does not have exact numbers. However, a sufficient number of hospitals and labs report influenza numbers that the CDC can extrapolate the known cases to the unknown to estimate a case number.
The CDC does collect death certificate data and keeps records on every death. Many deaths are recorded as ILI, or influenza like illness, and a certain number of influenza deaths result from secondary causes, such as pneumonia that the person developed as a consequence of influenza.
Much of medical science is based on statistical estimations. I’m comfortable with it, because I’ve spent my career in medical science. (No, I can’t diagnose anything, I’m not that kind of doctor.)