Because it fits the narrative. Many people even on HN believe that a slightly misleading presentation is justified if it helps the greater cause. They forget th

Because it fits the narrative. Many people even on HN believe that a slightly misleading presentation is justified if it helps the greater cause. They forget that the price for that is erosion of trust, so when next time a really scary version of the virus shows up, people will dismiss "the scientists" because they fudged the numbers and misrepresented the data last time.