These are days when an anomaly is reported. The Times has identified anomalies in reporting or changes in data methodology. The counts on this page include probable and confirmed cases and deaths. Confirmed cases and deaths, which are generally considered a count lower than the actual number, are counts of people whose coronavirus infections were confirmed by a molecular laboratory test.
Probable cases and deaths include people who meet criteria for other types of tests, symptoms and exposure, as established by national and local governments. Governments often review data or report a large single-day increase in cases or deaths from unspecified days without historical revisions, which can cause an irregular pattern in the numbers reported daily. The Times excludes these anomalies from seven-day averages when possible. For agencies that do not report data every day, variation in the schedule on which cases or deaths are reported, for example, around holidays, can also cause an irregular pattern in averages.
The Times uses an adjustment method to vary the number of days included in an average to eliminate these irregularities.
