The fatality rate is lower in part because the country shut down. Whether you agree with the shutdown or not, you have to acknowledge that is going to reduce the number of people who get it and die from it.
My understanding is that this year was also a bad influenza year. I saw an estimate of 40,000 to 60,000 flu deaths this year. If the shutdown did any good, those numbers really should be lower.
I think we trashed the economy for absolutely no benefit.
Really? By all means, explain why. Given that 66% of those in NYC that tested positive were "locked down", I'm not sure you can make that case.