If you can get someone to kiss your butt these days, make sure you take a video. Monetize that sucker on YouTube. You will be rich and famous. #Covidasskiss
(That is all in jest. The image in my mind was funny.)
Because NY was distorting US stats, this shows the pattern of US less NY. As we can see, if we peg 8 future days to Italy (they are 8 days ahead of us), then our pattern begins to flatten out as well. Again, key caveat is that NYC might still be growing (rapidly), but this also suggests regionality ie high specificity.
Italy 60.5 IT v US USA-NY 310.9 Day Date Cum Total % Chg Daily Ratio Date Cum Total % Chg Daily 1 2/21/2020 1 1 1.0 2/29/2020 1 1 30 3/21/2020 4,825 19.7% 793 3.9 3/29/2020 1,237 19.7% 203 31 3/22/2020 5,475 13.5% 650 3.9 3/30/2020 1,404 13.5% 167 32 3/23/2020 6,077 11.0% 602 3.9 3/31/2020 1,558 11.0% 154 33 3/24/2020 6,820 12.2% 743 3.9 4/1/2020 1,749 12.2% 191 34 3/25/2020 7,503 10.0% 683 3.9 4/2/2020 1,924 10.0% 175 Gross differential 3.9 Population differential 5.1 Per capita differential 20.0 Growth rate 26 Days 35.1% 28.2% 34 Days 30.0% 24.9% Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_coronavirus_pandemic_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_coronavirus_pandemic_in_Italy
And I do recognize I was being insensitive, perhaps even a little cruel to make light of those who are in obvious distress -- frightened, even -- over this Chinese flu ... and for that I apologize to all on this thread. I will try to maintain at least a small measure of somber-ness (if in fact there is such a word) and compassion in my future responses. Even we proud flubros are human that way ... despite that anti-flubros think we are nothing more a collection of potential arse-kissers.