First, the Chinese hid the facts about Covid until it was already spreading around the world. Further, their secrecy AND that they reacted so dramatically, in a panic, building hospitals and welding the doors shut so people couldn't leave their buildings, led to worldwide concerns that this was the ‘mother of all viruses’, and had the capacity to kill millions and millions. (Personally, I see the Chinese government's response to this as a consequence of them knowing that this was a novel virus that had ‘escaped’ their national virology lab). Otherwise, they would have likely treated this like any other coronavirus outbreak - most of which cause a ‘common cold’. They were doing gain of function research in Wuhan, and were afraid this virus had the capacity to be a ‘super pathogen’).
Second, though the majority of people who get sick enough to die of coronavirus are older people, many with pre-existing co-morbidities, this isn't the case for all those who have died. It is this arbitrary nature of Covid infections that also led to marked concern in the medical community and the populace. Twenty and thirty year olds without pre-existing conditions have died of Covid (I can personally attest to this). Why this happens to a small percentage of people, but doesn't in the majority of people, is currently unknown. As a new/novel virus, the ‘unknown’ factor affects how people think of this pandemic. They are worried that for whatever reason, they will be one of the unlucky ones - and will die, no matter how low the odds. The media has perpetuated this fear, as have many politicians and some medical professionals.
Third, this virus does some ‘funky’ things - such as promoting thrombosis. People are presenting with pulmonary emboli, stroke, and myocardial infarctions. Of course, this happens routinely in the absence of Covid, but there is something different about these Covid patients. They often present with the typical Covid symptoms, and then as the infection progresses they develop these thrombotic complications. Lots of hospitals have been prescribing anticoagulants for Covid patients, and discharging the survivors on anticoagulants. These poorly understood aspects of Covid, and the severity of hypoxia and lung involvement in those who wind up with advanced viral pneumonitis and/or ARDS have added to fears about Covid.
Fourth, overestimation of mortality rate. Covid appears to be highly contagious/infectious. As the antibody data are now suggesting, the number of people infected with Covid (including asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic people) is probably markedly higher than what the PCR testing-based data have suggested. This obviously makes the denominator of the mortality calculations much higher - and thus the mortality rate much lower. There were some early data suggesting the rate was 10% or greater - and this also led to the fears and concerns.
Fifth, and very important, is that too many politicians see this pandemic as a political opportunity. The amount of political posturing around Covid is disgusting.
Anyway, my long-winded morning FR comments.
The democRATS from the get go decided to take advantage of this virus pandemic and turn it into their last opportunity to get rid of Trump. Overplay their hand, over-estimate the death rates, force states to lockdown, killing businesses, jobs, livelihoods, prosperity and hope.
It was obvious to anybody who stood back and watched them try to fund all of their pet programs and then stall the efforts to get money in the hands of the people who had become unemployed because of the mass hysteria that they and the media had created, that they weren't concerned with people dying, except so far as it hurt Trump's image and poll numbers.
Until they saw the chance to destroy Trump's booming economy and realized they had no candidates who could beat him, especially the multi-tainted Joe Biden, they all of the sudden were "worried" about people dying. Lots of them. Millions we were told. What are we up to now? 60-some thousand? A long ways from millions.
This is right out of their democRAT Alinsky playbook. Destroy something that's not broke and then act like they can come in and save the day but installing their wet-dream socialist economy without much opposition.
All the rest your "facts", numbers and rationale are immaterial to their quest for greed and power and control over the population.
This is their chance to kill two birds with one stone. Finally get rid of Trump and implement their socialist economic revolution.
I compare it to their global warming scam. All of the talk about fossil fuels and carbon dioxide and saving the planet is hogwash. Their real goal is the same there as it is here now. Destroy capitalism and install socialism in its place. Instead of using global warming as the culprit, they are using the corona virus.