Comparing COVID-19 deaths to flu deaths is like comparing apples to oranges. The former are actual numbers; the latter are inflated statistical estimates. See: https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/comparing-...

If you deploy a contingency plan you can't then later say "see it wasn't so bad" using the measured numbers. You have to use a model of what it would have been without the containment measures.

Irrational actions based on an apples-oranges comparison fallacy by ignorant, impulsive people who lack delayed gratification is why advisory and legal mandates are necessary. Loosening up the lockdowns without evidence (good testing) and a vaccine or infected carriers reduced to zero just restarts the pandemic curve all over again and the pain becomes all for nothing. Easily-distracted, angsty, confused, selfish, short-term-focused, un-empathetic people who lack critical thinking skills and proper perspective can't anticipate the consequences of their actions or self-reflect. If some people are going to be dangerous assholes or clueless liabilities to others, the government has to step-in and prevent undue permanent harm. Otherwise, there will be another 100k deaths. If officials in all states acted with complete negligence and denial, they would've lost their next elections and there would've been somewhere between 500k-1m additional deaths. These are deaths can still happen since few % of the overall population is immune, and there's a possibility of importing a deadlier Italian strain to supplant the weaker West Coast US strain.

I would just like to point out that there are factions around here who will let you know about all the ways car companies lobbied to make the US dependent on driving long distances and driving frequently to the point of social ruin.