No number is a reliable number. You almost have to just isolate one population, whether it be a city or a country -> whatever makes that population consistently counted for the most part ... and then look at the curve pattern ... and then ultimately (except really for Italy) ... look at the death curve ... but that doesn't even show up for a couple/few weeks.
Well, if nothing else, well all end up learning a little about epidemiology because of this, if nothing else.