Variants have been circulating throughout the population causing a high number of deaths for all of modern history. Now that we’ve encountered a somewhat more deadly and contagious version than normal and the “danger” of this version has been super hyped, we’re quite sensitive to all flu related news, all flu variants, all flu deaths, etc. Confirmation bias at work. We’re now noticing something that was there all along: people die from the flu.
Even if actual flu related deaths reverted to a pre-2020 level, I guarantee it would still be news. People will still be wearing masks, state/local governments will be enforcing mandates, etc.
Couple the above with the fact that a group of bureaucrats have managed to seize an almost dictatorial amount of “emergency” powers, you can bet this isn’t going away anytime soon.