[makomk]

I've seen a lot of the opposite: China is what you (as a country) think you are. For example, lots of people have criticised the US/the Trump Administration/the CDC for not developing a novel coronavirus test in December, including at least one comment in the other thread. This is not, of course, something the US could've done but China potentially could've if they were on the ball enough. There also seems to be a widespread belief that the number of confirmed cases in the US and other Western countries is simply a function of the number of people tested. This is true of the rise of confirmed cases in Wuhan but pretty much nowhere else (though that's not to say the numbers elsewhere are 100% accurate either). Some smart people have repeated this one, including the author of Signal. I think there were a few more I can't remember off-hand too.

[TazeTSchnitzel]

> the number of confirmed cases in the US and other Western countries is simply a function of the number of people tested

Well, it is at least partly a function of that, no? If you aren't tested then your case may not be reported.

[TheAdamAndChe]

I'm in Missouri. I've been sick for the past few days, then overnight obtained a pretty bad dry cough. I called the local urgent care, and they basically told me that they've got to rule absolutely everything else out before testing for coronavirus, requiring a respiratory panel that would cost over $4k.

I'm staying home and self-quarantining, but am I being counted? No. I'm willing to bet there are thousands of others like me in the US in a similar situation.

[makomk]

Partly, but it's quite a weak effect. The UK had been testing much more aggressively than a lot of European countries, but our number of positives has been pretty much what you'd expect considering our distance from Italy.