A freedom of information request is only useful if you know how to read the data.
A November 2020 memorial in Washington, D.C. consisted of thousands of flags, each planted to remember someone who died of COVID-19.
Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images
Record-keepers have a pretty good sense of how many people have died. But figuring out the cause of those deaths is a lot trickier – and that’s why reasonable modelers can disagree.
A girl views the body of her father, who died of COVID-19, while mourners who can’t visit in person are onscreen.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images News via Getty Images
Health statisticians keep careful tabs on how many people die every week. Based on what’s happened in past years, they know what to expect – but 2020 death counts are surging beyond predictions.
The pandemic leaves its mark in the number of lives ended.
Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images
Health statisticians keep careful tabs on how many people die every week. Based on what’s happened in past years, they know what to expect – but 2020 death counts are surging beyond predictions.