The problem is the healthcare system. If the healthcare system collapses because doctors and nurses die, get long covid and can't work, or just burn out and leave, then the chances of dying from literally everything else go up significantly. Easily treatable cancers don't get treated because there's no capacity. People who get hurt in car crashes don't get seen and die of infections or sepsis or whatever because there aren't any ER beds. Everyone delays elective care because there's no capacity.

In short, it's never been about saving the population in general, although that is a desirable side effect. The entire lock down and vaccination push has been about preserving the healthcare system. Doctors and nurses take many years to make, it's not exactly a quick fix.