Since you are talking numbers and percentages, I have a question for all the smart people on FR.
I reference the following 3 Web Sites for my comments:
https://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2020/health/coronavirus-maps-and-cases/
https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html
https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/population-by-country/
I know CNN data is always suspect, but they do at times directly quote a somewhat “reliable source”. CNN and JHU report Cases and Deaths for a long list of countries that can be sorted a variety of ways. The third website just provides current populations of those countries.
Can someone, anyone explain how two countries (China & India) with a combined population of 2.819 BILLION people only account for 12.4 MILLION cases worldwide?? This is a 0.44% Case Rate in their population using (12.4 Million/2819 Million). Keep in mind, China & India represent about 40% of the total population of the Earth!!!!!!
Can someone, anyone also explain how two countries (US & Brazil) with a combined population of 543 MILLION people account for 43 MILLION cases worldwide?? This is a 7.9% Case Rate in their population using (43 Million/543 Million).
Here is my problem, if you apply 7.9% (US & Brazil case numbers) to 2.819 BILLION, a simple fast math guess is that India & China “should” be reporting in the general neighborhood of 220 MILLION cases not the ridiculously low 12.4 MILLION that are widely and often reported by CNN and Johns Hopkins University. Isn’t anybody at either of these two organizations required to do a sanity check on their data before public release? YES, that’s a rhetorical question.
We all know the Covid numbers are not accurate to suit a variety of reasons and agendas. However, the obviously blatant crap numbers out of China and India are beyond disturbing to say the least. What is the real scope of Covid Worldwide? Without China & India providing “Real Honest” numbers, all guesses are bad.
“Can someone, anyone explain how two countries (China & India) with a combined population of 2.819 BILLION people only account for 12.4 MILLION cases worldwide?? This is a 0.44% Case Rate in their population using (12.4 Million/2819 Million). Keep in mind, China & India represent about 40% of the total population of the Earth!!!!!!”
I haves some thoughts on your question.
I think part of it (not all) is that with good reason (and many other types of data examples) we can’t trust China’s numbers.
I think with India that they have a problem with getting accurate data collected, and that is part of the answer for them.
I also think for India and China they may both be benefitting from something that is no longer universal in most western nations - the BCG vaccine.
The BCG vaccine is vaccine to prevent tuberculosis (TB).
In the west it has nearly been eradicated and the TB vaccine is only given to direct contact persons on the few occasions it still arises. So, not many in the west take the BCG vaccine.
But in China, India and many “3rd world” countries, where they have more cases of TB, getting the TB vaccine is near mandatory and 9X% of their populations get it.
Now then the BCG vaccine performs like a “broad spectrum” antidote to infection. And it seems to do more than only help prevent TB.
A recent study found that those with the BCG vaccine get fewer Wuhan Virus infections when exposed to a very infectious case than do those who never got the BCG vaccine, and the difference is substantial.
https://www.cedars-sinai.org/newsroom/study-tb-vaccine-linked-to-lower-risk-of-contracting-covid-19/
Given the huge difference in the % of the populations of India and China that get the BCG vaccine (90+ %) versus places like the U.S. (maybe 15%) THAT might be part of the reason for different Covid case numbers/percentages when comparing China or India with the U.S.