The spread rate, is much greater than the flu... thus more deaths than the flu...
So your article says....
Those numbers, while much lower than the earlier estimates that drove the lockdowns, still represent a significant number of deaths, as well as a significant burden on local healthcare systems that can become overwhelmed by COVID-19.
The CDC estimates that as many as ( 24000 to) 60,000 Americans die of the flu in an average year, meaning—if the agency's current estimates are correct—the U.S. could still see tens of thousands of more deaths before the fatalities begin to recede.
The disease itself also appears to spread more easily than seasonal influenza, meaning even if COVID-19's infection fatality rate were equal to that of the flu, the total number of deaths from it would still likely exceed that of influenza simply because it would infect more people.
Influenza spread factors are skewed by a vaccine being availible, even a partially effective one.
Sorry, but anything with a mortality rate of less than 0.5%, with most mortality in people already dying of something isn't worth killing the economy over. I can understand the initial reaction based on the 3%-4% estimates early on, considering if they were off by a factor of two we are talking 6%-8%, which approaches the civilization threatening decimation level, but as the numbers skewed down, States should have started at least partial re-opening much quicker.
the faster spread rate, the R naught, is what is the problem, vs the flu....
the mortality rate is 2 1/2 times greater than the flu, and could go down even more in time with more testing done....
But the Rate of the spread of the infection is higher....likely beause we vaccinate for the flu,...
the corona virus has an estimated R naught of 1 infected person spreads it to 3 others, an R-3
the influenza virus has an estimated spread rate of 1 infected person, spreads it to 1.3 people, R-1.3.
So because COVID is spread so easily, it reaches more at risk of dying people, and causing these ten fold numbers in deaths, above the flu deaths, even with the mortality rate of covid being just 2.5 times greater than the flu..... covid is infecting, many more people at a rapid rate in spread.