[LINK] OT: The Quality of Reporting on "COVID-19-Linked" Deaths

[David Lochrin]

On 2020-04-03 18:15, Roger Clarke wrote:

> Best demo yet of 100% image and 0% substance.
> 
> 'Case numbers' is a meaningless metric, because it's impossible to know what each of the at least 40 data-elements means, it adds apples and oranges, and none of it tells anyone anything useful.

What "40 data-elements" do you have in mind?  I presume "case-numbers" refers to the number of cases indicated by a specific diagnostic test or, at very least, a set of symptoms indicative of CV with high probability.

> Metrics that can assist in public health decisions:
> -   Deaths

On the other hand, number of deaths is rather imprecise unless it's qualified by age and the existence of predisposing conditions.

DL