Public health agencies and the press are casting out a blizzard of confusing terms:

presumptive cases, infected persons, asymptomatic persons, confirmed cases, containment measures, persons connected to persons who are infected…

It is my understanding that, now, the CDC is lumping together presumptive cases and confirmed cases, and calling them: CASES.

Certainly, that strategy would immediately multiply the total number of CASES and also multiply fear among the uninformed population.

A presumptive case would be a person who has not been tested for the coronavirus; or he has been tested, but the results are not yet in.

Why is he a presumptive case in the first place? There could be several reasons. He has ordinary flu-like symptoms, and his doctor suspects he might be infected by the coronavirus, for no particular reason. He might have come in contact with a person who has been diagnosed as an epidemic case. He might have recently traveled to China—and has or doesn't have flu-like symptoms. Maybe he has a slight cough…