Covid-19’s death toll appears higher than official figures suggest
Measuring the total number of deaths tells a grimmer tale
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THE SPREAD of covid-19 is most often measured by two numbers: how many people are infected, and how many have died. The first is very uncertain. Some carriers show no symptoms, and most countries do not test people who seem healthy. Because data on infections are unreliable, researchers have focused on deaths. Yet new statistics suggest that current fatality numbers may also understate the damage.
This article appeared in the Graphic detail section of the print edition under the headline "Fatal flaws"
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