Why does it matter when a state or local area misclassifies or under-reports COVID cases or deaths like Florida or Iowa with outbreaks?

It’s not to embarrass the state. https://twitter.com/aslavitt/status/1266213763604152321

We know there are many who die from COVID without having a positive COVID test. There are also states that don’t classify deaths where another co-morbidity is present, as it often is.

There are people who want to depress the accounting of COVID deaths. And I’m sure they are some that would want to bloat it, although there’s very little risk of this. There are also innocent reasons why people may under-classify, but it is a mistake.

The numbers themselves are only relevant in what we learn from them which call into 2 categories.

First— given the newness of the virus, states are flying blind and need to understand everything possible about which cases are likely to lead to hospitalization and death. If they can’t predict, they can get overwhelmed, particularly as they re-open.

As my friend @byron_auguste has said, sometimes you think you’re flying until you hit the ground. Don’t think he would claim that to be original. But curiosity not ignorance is what’s called for.

Second— we are still trying to determine the underlying pathology of the virus. When people die with COVID-19 as a contributing factor, they may die from other illnesses like pneumonia or a stroke. If COVID-19 isn’t coded, we miss something important.

Who is most in danger of dying when they get COVID is one of the most important questions we have to answer? We are now learning that 10% of people w diabetes who are hospitalized die. What else do we know? What don’t we know?

So even though we’re in the fog of war and data— especially because we’re in the fog of data— we need to be as clear, visible and transparent as possible.

If CDC won’t or can’t mandate reporting standards, Comgress should.