I think you're conflating a whole lot of nuanced causes and effects, some that started well before covid hit, all in the name of score keeping (which only helps

I think you're conflating a whole lot of nuanced causes and effects, some that started well before covid hit, all in the name of score keeping (which only helps people put up nuance-blinders and just go for the 'win') The covid response in the US was varied. I live in Arizona, we had minimal lock downs and a high death rate. I don't know anyone who's died of the flu in all my years, I know 3 people dead from covid (not elderly sick people either) - at least one of those purely because he felt he had to spite the libs. Statistically that likely means nothing, but neither does your hunting around for everything negative you read with a post-pandemic timestamp to try to get the win over a group of people who were just trying to do what was best to save their friends and family and neighbors from a very real threat that was still being understood.