evidence: Statistics of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States [...] Confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. crossed 200,000 on Thursday, but experts agree the actual number of infected people is much higher. The lack of reliable data—a persistent problem since the pandemic began—has made it impossible to determine the actual size of the outbreak, hampering the U.S. response. [...] - ^ "US COVID-19 Deaths Reach 240K as Daily Cases Set Another Record". NBC Connecticut. November 9, 2020. Retrieved December 17, 2020.