True number of U.S. coronavirus cases is far above official tally, scientists say

[Zorro]

An analysis of the novel coronavirus’ spread inside the United States suggests that thousands of Americans are already infected, dimming the prospects for stomping out the outbreak in its earliest stages.

Researchers estimate that by March 1, the virus had already infected about 1,000 to 10,000 people who have not yet been accounted for. At the start of this month, about 80 U.S. cases had been confirmed and officials were still expressing confidence they could contain the new virus.

Quarantines, contact tracing and other public health measures have likely tamped down the COVID-19 outbreak here, the researchers said. But from the start, a group of infected travelers just big enough to fill an elevator likely has been expanding the virus’ reach, largely undetected.

Released into a country of about 330 million, each of these travelers was assumed to have passed the virus to 2 to 2.5 people, each of whom in turn infected another 2 to 2.5 people, and so on. Tote up the nodes on this rapidly branching network of contacts and the number of victims balloons quickly, the researchers wrote.

https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2020-03-10/us-coronavirus-cases-far-above-official-tally-scientists

This is no surprise.

[lagomorph777]

1. Of course. Trump has been brazenly trying to cover it up instead of deal with it.

[42bambi]

4. Denialisim - he refuses to believe verifiable reality, making life easier for him. nt

[no_hypocrisy]

2. One solution is to have a report of the 50 states and US territories every day.

WH can't control the message outside DC.

[Maribelle]

3. Is the current official tally published somewhere on the internet?

I frequently look at the Johns Hopkins grid, but it falls behind sometimes, and has resorted to publishing the US counts by state now, not country as it previously did.