But COVID is not unique: people have been dying unnecessary deaths in this country for a long time, and have accelerated in recent years. Go read up on deaths of despair. Look at the rise in healthcare costs, or how unhealthy our food is. It's no wonder that a society of unhealthy, isolated, and stressed people are succumbing to a disease that kills those with suppressed immune systems.
>The reason for the large number of deaths in the US is not that Americans have suppressed immune systems, are stressed, or are otherwise unhealthy.
I disagree. And even if we were to stop COVID from killing so many, it's reckless to consider this as not a significant contributor to any unnecessary deaths. New variants of existing diseases are inevitable.
But there's no reason not to discuss China. It's the elephant in the room. A country of 1.4 billion people essentially ended community transmission and then opened up society again.
> I disagree.
There's nothing to disagree or agree about. The virus is not 500x more deadly in the US than in China. That's a fact, whether or not you agree. The overwhelming factor is simply the number of people who get infected in the first place.