Misleading use of data

As popularized by Mark Twain, the saying "lies, damned lies and statistics" seems apropos to your April 16 front page article on virus death rates. While the writer does state throughout his article that these death rate numbers are at best incomplete due to very low total population testing, he nonetheless goes on to state them repeatedly. Along with your highlighted table accompanying the article, a cursory reader would surmise that between 3% and 5% of people who get exposed to the coronavirus die. This is demonstrably false by any reading of the actual data available. The writer does go on to state a real current fatality rate of 0.01% among the entire Illinois population from COVID-19. In this time of heightened anxiety among your readers, it is truly a disservice to them to further worry them with misleading tables and headlines. As your newspaper has repeatedly promised its readers not to sensationalize the news, please stay true to that commitment.

Dean A Francis

Wheaton