From everything we know the opposite is true in that deaths directly due to COVID are undercounted, not overcounted. Multiple states in the US were directly seen undercooking the numbers so that it looked better. See here [1]
Also even in the scenario you post as a semi-gotcha moment wouldn't be counted as COVID-related, but I would hope it would be obvious to you that certain fast growing cancers have significantly better prognosis if caught early.
Yup. Anyone in power has an incentive to say “we’ve got this under control, trust us everything’s fine.”
This is true at every level. From downplaying mistakes in nursing homes in NY, to fudging numbers in FL, to Trump wishing we’d stop testing, to Biden proclaiming victory upon the vaccine rollout, it’s all the same incentive.
Also even in the scenario you post as a semi-gotcha moment wouldn't be counted as COVID-related, but I would hope it would be obvious to you that certain fast growing cancers have significantly better prognosis if caught early.
[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23236613