(NewsNation Now) — As omicron continues to surge, doctors say the number of recorded COVID-19 cases are a “vast underestimate.”

The latest count from John Hopkins University shows nearly 59 million COVID-19 cases in the U.S. — that’s including almost 9 million cases in the past 28 days alone.

“The numbers have really escalated and when we came back from New Year it was almost like nothing we had ever seen even in the height of COVID previously, maybe a year or so ago,” Physician Dr. Amy Illescas said.

Infectious diseases expert Dr. Aileen Marty said COVID-19 cases are likely 20% higher than those reports, in part because of widespread at-home testing.

“It’s a problem because it gives us a false sense of security and it doesn’t allow us to recognize where the hot spots are,” Marty said.

Without knowing where the hotspots are, additional resources can’t be allocated to the hospitals most at risk of becoming overrun.

“There is always going to be a problem with numbers, and nothing is perfect,” Marty said. “You have got to get as close as you can and do estimates, and that is what we have always done for all kinds of diseases.”

Totals of deaths and recoveries also are hindered by factors such as undetected COVID-19 cases, in which the patient recovers without being tested.

In Germany,  Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said the country’s coronavirus infection rate is likely two to three times higher than statistics currently show.

Numbers heading into the new year showed Germany’s infection rate drifting downward from a spike caused by the delta variant. But officials have cautioned repeatedly that, as in previous holiday periods, the numbers will be incomplete over Christmas and New Year’s because fewer tests are being performed and there are delays in reporting tests that are carried out.