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We don’t test everyone to get the generic flu statistics. CDC estimates the number of unreported/untreated cases. Without knowing what goes into the CDC estimates, I don’t know how they arrived at the 38 million estimate, but I am sure it is informed by many years of experience and testing.

We don’t have extensive data on the Wuhan virus, but our testing capability is expanding exponentially by the day. We have tested well over 300,000 to date. As the database expands, so will our knowledge of the virus. Testing for antibodies will give us more information.

A lot of people have symptoms and don’t seek medical help. I believe I had the virus in late December along with my daughter who had the same experience. We both had the flu shots and never had the flu. This time I woke up with a sore throat that lasted a day followed by a low level fever for 3 or 4 days and lung congestion, fatigue, and aches and pains. My daughter went thru the same cycle about a day behind. I decided to go to the doctor the next day, but never made it because the symptoms cleared up the following morning. My illness was not recorded officially. The only way to ascertain I had the virus or the flu is thru an antibody test.

Based on limited US testing, about 90% of those tested are negative for the virus. The vast majority of these people had symptoms. NY is an exception with about 40% testing positive for the virus. The bottom line is that we need more data to draw any significant conclusions. When the dust settles, the US will have the most extensive testing data in the world.

I'm sure we will, but until then, no one really knows. And, if 90% of people with symptoms are testing negative for the virus, that tells me that the 86% of people supposedly having the virus without knowing is even more likely to be bullshit. Perhaps 90% of those are incorrect also?

We don’t test everyone to get the generic flu statistics. CDC estimates the number of unreported/untreated cases. Without knowing what goes into the CDC estimates, I don’t know how they arrived at the 38 million estimate, but I am sure it is informed by many years of experience and testing.

Flu estimates are just a wild-ass guess. Real, confirmed flu deaths number a couple hundred to a few thousand a year. And many of those are the same as Wuhan virus: elderly / those with other complications. The huge majority of "flu" deaths are people who died from pneumonia, and exhibited other flu-like symptoms. They were never tested for flu, just lumped in with those stats. And there's a good 20 or so other, relatively common germs that cause those symptoms. Rhinovirus is a big one.