[Mick]

In the early going I saw a lot of people compare this to car deaths, and I think that's instructive. Every year we have 10 9/11's on our roads, plus who knows how much injury, and the deaths from pollution and all the other crap associated with cars, and no one cares. Virtually no one thinks it matters at all, let alone would be willing to inconvenience themselves at all to stop what is objectively a ridiculous death toll.

I think the ability of humanity to become accustomed to their circumstances is one of the worst curses imaginable, even if it's understandable from an evolutionary perspective.

Heart disease is #1 at 647k, cancer is #2 at 599k (2017 CDC figures).  Big drop to accidents at 169k.  COVID will be in the top three, hopefully not #1.

[Mick]

In the early going I saw a lot of people compare this to car deaths, and I think that's instructive. Every year we have 10 9/11's on our roads, plus who knows how much injury, and the deaths from pollution and all the other crap associated with cars, and no one cares. Virtually no one thinks it matters at all, let alone would be willing to inconvenience themselves at all to stop what is objectively a ridiculous death toll.

I think the ability of humanity to become accustomed to their circumstances is one of the worst curses imaginable, even if it's understandable from an evolutionary perspective.

Heart disease is #1 at 647k, cancer is #2 at 599k (2017 CDC figures).  Big drop to accidents at 169k.  COVID will be in the top three, hopefully not #1.