Lune, are you aware of any studies that have attempted to measure a causal relation between a positive COVID DNA test and actual symptoms? As a scientist I am sure you know that one cannot simply divide deaths by positive tests due to sampling bias, which is why in March
Business Insider can say that the global death rate was 5% globally, 11% in Italy, and 1.8% in the US in comparison to the flu at 0.1% while the July
CDC Estimate is now 0.65%. Do you know how the CDC is deriving their estimate? They must be trying to correct somehow as it's lower than deaths / tests, but on the other hand
motorcycle deaths are now caused by COVID and
African livestock and fruits are testing positive so I think it would be hard to get good data.
There is so much noise out there that I'm not even trying to read it all and am just going with my gut feeling that COVID is mostly media panic with very little scientific rigor, that the death rate is likely much lower than 0.65%, and that under 1% is hardly a huge problem anyway. We all die someday and I personally prefer quality to quantity of life, while wearing masks turns us all into unemotional, faceless slaves who can't communicate with each other.
John Waters says it well. That said, I would be open to changing my mind if a well designed study showed the CDC has somehow significantly underestimated the rate of death or major symptoms.
Also,
JP has a bunch of really funny videos on COVID.