The point is avoiding mass death. They care about their families lives too and not just economics.
It's not a 'political' choice or about 'optics'.
It's also not just 'old' people who are dying. It affects 50+ year olds in not insignificant numbers.
It depends whether you prioritise health or economics.
You can balance health and economics and choose to prioritise one _before_ the other.
It does however requires the political will to support the economy (and the poorest) whilst health care is prioritised to buy time during the exponential phase.