> Why is this Covid situation any different? Because the downsides of the things you listed are of a much smaller magnitude than the upsides. A much better ex

> Why is this Covid situation any different? Because the downsides of the things you listed are of a much smaller magnitude than the upsides. A much better example would be, for example, someone telling you "don't eat red meat, because it increases your risk of colon cancer". If you really like steak, and the risk of colon cancer is small, you might choose that the tradeoff is worth it. Health experts can only tell you whether a particular course of action increases or decreases the risk of health issues. They can't tell you whether that's worth the cost of that course of action, because that's subjective. Regular in-person social interaction is extremely important for most people's happiness, and it's perfectly reasonable for them to think that going back to 2019 normal is worth the risk of a slightly increased chance of being killed or maimed by Covid.