Consider:
An inexpensive, early onset treatment was savaged by media and 'studies' which were widely quoted, only to find out the studies had obvious and glaring flaws, and the treatment would have indeed been effective.
Against any epidemiological best practices, infected patients were introduced into confined high risk populations, when alternatives existed to that placement which held little increased risk.
Patients who died with the disease were counted as patients who died of the disease.
Test results from antibody tests (which test for exposure, but not active COVID) were combined with the positive test results for those with active disease, and all presented as being "new cases".
Persons who died who had been possibly exposed to the virus and presented with any of the symptoms were counted as "presumed" COVID-19 deaths.
People who died outside of medical care, including ordinary cardiac patients, were subject to DNR orders and added to the death toll.
Why, no. Gee whiz, I'd have no reason to believe that any of the numbers or the Media panic concerning them would be anything but true...(/sarc I almost typed that with a straight face).