Early estimates of death rates during the pandemic were alarmingly high, but research revealed that actual infection rates were significantly underestimated. Studies conducted in Santa Clara and LA counties indicated that for every confirmed case, there were 40 to 50 undetected infections, leading to a revised death rate of around 0.2%. The release of these findings sparked intense backlash, including threats and skepticism from peers, despite the robustness of the data.
