I worked in a government hospital for thirty years and have lived through all of the warnings and preparations for each new 'pandemic', some more real than others.
I was even in China during SARS in 2003, having to pass through a body temperature scanner at the airport after getting out of bed sick.
It is instructive to recall that in 2009/2010 the 'swine' flu epidemic affected approximately 1 billion persons worldwide and killed about 13,000 Americans.
Do you remember the country shutting down at that time after a media panic blitz?
And, that strain was unusual in that it was an equal opportunity killer of the old and young.
About 1000 Americans had died before the President declared a state of emergency.