Not the way math works. If it's 0.003 for the entire population, then as the sample size shrinks into more specific demographics, the mortality rate increases. Nonetheless, the overall mortality rate was low, but still, over a million Americans died. To the point here, we are closer to agreement than when this discussion began. I've read a bit, but admittedly not a lot - because there is just so damn much!

The US gov't handled Covid poorly. Truth be told, I don't know what the best path forward through the pandemic would have been. But there should have been greater focus on so called fat shaming because people who were obese and or diabetic were most at risk. They also said over 70, which I am, so that caught my attention. But I'm not obese or diabetic, so even because of my age, my individual risk was probably relatively low. And maybe why I haven't had covid, yet anyway. Also maybe because I got the vaccine. Or both. The upshot is that the US has done almost nothing to prepare for the next pandemic, according to an interview I saw with Bill Gates. He's very into global health with his philanthopy and estimates a 10 to 15% probability of another pandemic within four years. So we have a statistically good chance that we won't have Trump urging Americans to use ivermectin or stick a light bulb up their azzes.