Look at the numbers

A very interesting article by Caroline Chen and Ash Ngu in ProPublica. You should read it as I've only given you what I see as the highlights.

How to Understand COVID-19 Numbers 

Case Counts Won’t Give You the Full Picture

Look for positivity rates below 5% 

Look at seven-day averages over weeks 

Deaths lag behind cases. Wait a few weeks after cases change to see if deaths do too. 

There Are Some Things We Can’t Know for Certain 

Take a Deep Breath and Try to Look at the Big Picture 

Understand the caveats of the data. The data is not perfect but it is still useful. 

Look at hospitalizations and the positivity rate. 

Find trusted sources.