During the Covid pandemic health officials occasionally used similar language: The rate of increase in new cases was increasing/decreasing...
I tried to understand some of their data but it was beyond my capacities - despite having access to some raw data. I do not think that the general population cared (the concern was rather on how to calculate 1 km from their house) but for someone who is allergic to bad statistics creating crappy results it was torture.
To what he answers "because we get data from pharmacies, doctors, etc. about cases"
- so how do you know that this is a total number? It is just the number of positive tests?
- yes, so we know the ratio and therefore can tell for the whole population
- so the number you provide is an estimate?
- no, the number of cases
(some time passed and then another question)
- when you extrapolate (they used a more human-friendly term), how do you know that the ones who come for tests are representative of the whole population
- ...
While I must say that our government reacted to the pandemic almost very well (except that they lied at the beginning), some of the experts they put ahead were ridiculous.
It was interesting because it raised the right questions but unfortunately dd not beiring any answers.