What is the false comfort is people's belief that noting this ensures their own safety. My comment was that underlying conditions afflict the vast majority of us, yet people are taking the news as if it means these people all had stage 4 cancer or something and were already on death's door.
It does drive me crazy though, when I hear friends that have let themselves be consumed by fear or misunderstanding. It can unnecessarily affect their live in very negative ways.
For example, my co-worker had a falling accident a couple days ago and severely hurt his shoulder. He is afraid he tore his rotator cuff. He is early 30s, a very smart person, but has been consumed with panic about the disease. He refuses to go see a doctor in fear of catching covid-19. It’s like he thinks it’s some sort of death sentence. He lives in a relatively rural county in SC, where according to the state health department there is 1 confirmed case.