[2006alum]

Maybe I'm asking a stupid question that's already been answered, but how do they adjust for the fact that the denominator may be exploding due to many asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic people checking their temperature "just in case"? Anecdotally among my friends and family, there's probably been more thermometer use in the past two weeks than in the past two years. If what they're measuring is the % atypical fevers, what is the denominator? Raw number of atypical fevers this season over total measured temperatures compared to the same % at this time last season? Or is it % of total measured fevers right now? If the former, it does seem like the probable precipitous drop in all other fever-inducing illnesses due to social distancing will really throw off year-over-year comparisons. But if the latter, a ton of people are taking their temperature who wouldn't ordinarily do so absent other symptoms, and who are presumably driving down the % of above-average fevers measured against the total number of temperature measurements. I guess this statistic feels like it has so little capacity to measure what it's purporting to measure that I'm not sure what its utility is. But maybe I'm missing something?

[2006alum]

Maybe I'm asking a stupid question that's already been answered, but how do they adjust for the fact that the denominator may be exploding due to many asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic people checking their temperature "just in case"? Anecdotally among my friends and family, there's probably been more thermometer use in the past two weeks than in the past two years. If what they're measuring is the % atypical fevers, what is the denominator? Raw number of atypical fevers this season over total measured temperatures compared to the same % at this time last season? Or is it % of total measured fevers right now? If the former, it does seem like the probable precipitous drop in all other fever-inducing illnesses due to social distancing will really throw off year-over-year comparisons. But if the latter, a ton of people are taking their temperature who wouldn't ordinarily do so absent other symptoms, and who are presumably driving down the % of above-average fevers measured against the total number of temperature measurements. I guess this statistic feels like it has so little capacity to measure what it's purporting to measure that I'm not sure what its utility is. But maybe I'm missing something?