Poll: Nearly One-Third of Americans Do Not Believe Coronavirus Death Toll Is as High as Reported

Nearly one-third of Americans do not believe the coronavirus death toll is as high as reported, an Axios/Ipsos poll released Tuesday revealed.

The survey, conducted July 17-20, 2020, among 1,037 U.S. adults, found that Americans are growing skeptical over the number of reported coronavirus-related deaths.

“Do you believe the actual number of Americans dying from the coronavirus is more, less, or about the same as the number of deaths that have been reported?” the survey asked.

Nearly one-third, or 31 percent, said the death toll is “less,” another 31 percent said “about the same,” and 37 percent said “more.” However, the number of those who believe it is less has increased by eight percent since May.

Republicans remain far more skeptical of the coronavirus death toll, with 58 percent saying it is “less,” 25 percent saying it is “about the same,” and 16 percent saying it is “more.” A majority of Democrats, 61 percent, believe the death toll is higher, 30 percent say it is “about the same,” and nine percent believe it is “less.”

“Where you get your news has a strong correlation to your faith in the numbers,” Axios reported:

• Fox News watchers who say deaths are being over-counted shot up from 44% to 62%, even higher than Republicans overall.
• Other big gains came from those who say they have no primary news source, from 32% to 48%; and those whose primary sources include local news, from 30% to 44%.
• There was a smaller increase among people whose primary news source is one of the networks or major U.S. newspapers, while views of those who primarily watch CNN and MSNBC remained about the same.

The U.S. has reported 3,819,139 confirmed cases of the virus and 140,630 related deaths, according to the Health and Human Services (HHS) Coronavirus Data Hub.

The growing skepticism coincides with reports of errors in reporting positive cases, as was recently seen in Connecticut and Florida.

As Breitbart News reported:

According to the latest publication of statewide test results from the Florida Department of Health, published on Friday, several testing facilities’ positivity rates for coronavirus tests were 27.66, 33.33, 37.10, 40, 43.13, 44.44, 50, 55, 57.14, 59.23, 60, 87.5, 91.18, and 100.

Twenty-two labs reported 100-percent positivity rates. Two labs reported 91.18-percent positivity rates.

The Florida Department of Health’s stated positivity rates and associated volume of coronavirus cases does not match claims made by the testing facilities, reported FOX 35.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) recently addressed the mounting reports of individuals receiving positive test results, even though they left the testing facility before they were actually tested.

“For that to come back positive, when there was no specimen submitted, is problematic, so I’ve heard it enough to be concerned about it,” DeSantis said.

“I asked the Department of Health to look at that because I heard it too if you can give us, if people that have told you that are willing to provide their name, we’re interested in investigating this because it’s ridiculous,” he added.