--edited because I don't think it matters if there are false positives what matters is the public understands the serious nature of the situation. I have no me

--edited because I don't think it matters if there are false positives what matters is the public understands the serious nature of the situation. I have no medical training but below is my observation Your points are valid (not regarding false positive rates), but the population still thinks the numbers put out are valid. So if we could ramp up testing very quickly (which seems to be possible given what the Cleveland Clinic is able to do) it would be beneficial for the public to see how bad the situation is. I haven't been able to convince anyone with symptoms that they are in fact likely to have it. (it could also be useful for hospitals to apply specific treatment regimens, when they get more defined)