[wyager]

> there were also overflowing hospitals in 99.9% of the country

The hysteria over "overflowing hospitals" was mostly due to people not understanding the base rate of hospital occupancy, or how hospitals account for occupancy limits in general.

In reality, utilization of the medical system collapsed because people were scared to go to the hospital for routine medicine. Whether that was net positive or negative depends on how iatrogenic risks interact with the selection effects in play at the time.

[bryanlarsen]

Yes, the hospitals were quieter during the initial lockdown. However peak COVID deaths and hospital overload was in 2022. Our local hospital experienced 2 nurse suicides in 2022.