What to know about the limits of COVID-19 stats

Every day, the Pa. Health Department releases data about COVID-19 cases in the state. But that data is incomplete — which makes it hard to understand how things are going.

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Pennsylvania Health Secretary Rachel Levine holds a daily briefing on COVID-19. (Commonwealth Media Services)

Pennsylvania Health Secretary Rachel Levine holds a daily briefing on COVID-19. (Commonwealth Media Services)

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Every day, state and county governments release data about new COVID-19 cases and deaths. Watching big swings in numbers can make it seem like things are getting a lot worse, or a lot better. But problems in gathering and reporting that data mean they don’t give us the full picture of how the pandemic is going. Here are some key things to keep in mind when you hear COVID-19 numbers.

Guest: WHYY/PlanPhilly data reporter Ryan Briggs

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