Mainland China virus cases rise again after earlier decline

The numbers of afflicted persons and deceased persons from coronavirus are much greater than reported. That would be so even if the China government were honestly reporting them. There are several reasons:

1) The counts are tabulated from information that is collected from multiple sources. When the totals are reported to the public, they reflect conditions of a prior point in time.

2) The counts reflect ONLY persons who have been tested and confirmed to have the disease. They do not include persons who never seek professional care.

3) But most of all, the disease has already overwhelmed the China health care system capacity to provide care or even testing. Reports are that many people who go to clinics and hospitals are simply turned away and left to suffer on their own at home and often die at home. They are not subsequently tested to see if they had the disease.

@CrazyJoe

Valid points, but comparatively, this is probably the same methodology used as previous outbreaks. Particularly for China, figures are always going to be rubbery.

IMHO, the only metrics truly useful is the change as graphed by data scientists around the world.

Absolute numbers are as useful as Tiananmen square deaths numbers, or HK protests numbers, or Great Leap Forward starvation deaths numbers, or China GDP numbers.

Imagine how this virus will wreck havoc on a country like North Korea. I am pretty sure it will get there soon since they share borders and rely heavily on the Chinese.

I think the spread of the disease will soon grow most quickly outside of Wuhan. A number of cities will need to go into lockdown. Frankly, too late.

China should get rid ASAP of the stupid incompetent useless communist criminal government for good.... SARS, Coronavirus, Tiananmen Square, etc., etc. - why people in China are so naive and patient??!!

@Numan

I'll bet NK already has 2019-nCoV infections if not deaths. But the world will never be told.

NK do have Coronavirus

@Crazy Joe - Well said. Having said that, the CCP also plays down even those numbers...disgusting.