...which is the expected outcome and in line with all recommendations. It's this confusion I was talking about.

Public health measures were to slow the spread and not overwhelm medical resources, and to give time for better measures to be developed. Which has happened. Some folks cooperated with this, and some rebelled. And some spewed hate and misinformation.

Of course they have. The aphormis "fuck around and find out" has definitely enjoyed it's time in the sun thanks to the pandemic. Now if everyone you knew had spent the last three years voluntarily quarantined and only ventured in public wearing rated PPE with the correct fitment you might have a point, so how about it?