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How can we believe?

We watch and follow the daily confirmed cases of COVID and make far-reaching and significant decisions based on this data. We close down businesses and socializing, or open up and potentially expose ourselves to this deadly disease – all based on the data.

Now we learn, from the Spokane Regional Health District, that these numbers can be totally bogus! The recent spike in confirmed cases was somewhat concerning, and now we find that many of the cases (nearly 30 percent) were really from “backlogged” reporting from over 5 months ago. (“Backlog cases inflate county’s COVID-19 numbers,” May 26)

There is an old saying: “ Figures don’t lie, but Liars figure.” Who in the Health Department was responsible for allowing completely false information to be released? Surely, the backlogged cases can be excluded and reported separately. There is no excuse for not having valid reports.

Ken Wilder

Spokane

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