There are reports of hospitals turning people away unless they a very sick, and also not testing every ill patient because they're overwhelmed.
I've see death certificates posted online with "viral pneumonia" because they aren't able to test everyone - and certainly don't bother testing those who have already died.
The errors are both ways and huge.
The only thing we can conclude is that it's contagious, deadly, and more deadly than the seasonal flu.
But yes it does indicate that the real number is much higher than the confirmed cases. It's really hard to track an outbreak of this magnitude especially when many people are carriers showing mild symptoms. It's actually a good thing if cases are being severely underestimated as it implies a lower death rate (deaths are harder to fudge).
Are you sure about this? AFAIK, the Chinese government does not disclose someone as dead by this virus unless they tested the person positive. That means that if someone dies from respiratory complications on the street or in their home, they will write it off as pneumonia. Right now Wuhan city only has the capacity to screen roughly 6000 samples everyday. Add to this that many sick people are basically just told to go home. Not many cars are driving, city is shutdown so god knows how many are sitting lifeless in their livingroom. I have also seen much evidence that communities are barring the doors of infected households so they can't leave their apartments.
The death count can only be expected considerably higher than reported.
Best wishes for your recovery!
Would that not be a proper reason for a corona virus caused death? Or does it have to be specific if the exact cause is known?
Either way, it makes the data far less useful.
If they don't know, fine. Albeit sloppy, given the context.
If they do know, and don't say, it's deceptive.
And secondly, that more people have died than have recovered doesn't say much other than that it takes longer to recover than to die. If you are going to die, it would appear that it would happen sooner rather than later. Whereas if you aren't going to die, you may take awhile before you've been officially cured.
That isn't to say that is absolutely what is happening here. But both scenarios are fairly likely, and therefore should mediate some of the bleakness of those numbers for the time being.