Originally Posted by GoodLife

Sounds scary doesn't it? But it's a flat out lie meant to scare you. Panic Porn

That's the headline the Orlando Sentinel went with today, and they opened the story with this.

Florida reported 120 new COVID-19 fatalities on Thursday — the single biggest daily increase — pushing the death toll past 4,000 and coming after weeks of exploding coronavirus cases across the state.


Florida reports 120 COVID-19 fatalities, its deadliest day of pandemic - Orlando Sentinel

Here is the graph they presented charting Florida deaths.

Attachment 85176

Wow...very scary, deaths are rising must be that surge of new cases.

The problem with the Sentinel's headline and chart is there were only 9 deaths from covid 19 on Thursday. The rest of the 120 deaths were from previous dates and to make a correct chart you have to backfill reported deaths to the date they actually happened. I am pretty sure they know this but 120 deaths in a single day just makes for great panic porn headlines.

Here is a correct chart with deaths listed on the actual day they happened.

Attachment 85177

So far total of 135 deaths in July for Florida. This number will rise as deaths by actual date are backfilled. It takes time for deaths to be coded at hospitals, sent to the county, then the State and CDC.

It's unfortunate that we can't trust media reports on just about anything.