That's part of the issue. There actually was a point in time if you said it came from a lab, you were vilified, demonetized, canceled etc....there are plenty of examples of youtube and such doing this.
And that is just for something completely benign. It was worse if you questioned the vaccine, provided alternative ideas, challenged efficacy, etc......the whole thing was incompetence at best, nefarious at worst.
The communication from the government was not honest. It was one option, and one option only.
But this is revisionist history and a huge generalization that misses the actual history that enfolded. The death rate at the start in china was 5.25% the virus was most virulent at this point and became weaker overtime as is the case with most viruses. It tends to increase spread and propagation.
Global death rate was 2-3 percent. It wasn't just sick people dying although the amount of co-morbidities would put that group at about 70% of US citizens, it was causing myocarditis at higher rates than the vaccine did and does in young folks. We now know it causes neurological damage in many folks.
The vaccine reduces fatalities substantially while showing less rates of consequences then actually getting the virus, myocaditis for example. If the death rate stayed at 2-5% on the high end thats a fuck ton of people, a fuck ton did die in fact. Vaccines are proven to be effective, there is no dispute in the medical community on that, worldwide, its basic science.
The claim that it only killed the sick is disingenuous. 70-80% of those who died had things like hypertension- do you know how many US citizens have that or diabetes or cholesterol issues. Those over 60 (which is not old as it they are useless refuse) were most susceptible.
I can buy the lab leak theory tbh. I hate how the government handled it but I am aware that my hindsight bias is skewing my perception. In the moment, when China was being obliterated and they did not know which way the virus would trend it makes sense to rapidly do what they did. As it unfolded they were too protectionist and went over the top with it. The vaccine was rushed but it had to be, how else would it have been done?
