The fact that people vastly overestimate the number of deaths from Covid as recent polls have shown, is a signal of the failure of our politicians (aided and abetted by many in the media).  

The failure is what our politicians see as their success: scaremongering. It is indeed successful if your intention is to overstate the death risk to such an extent that Australians will snitch on neighbours, drastic police enforcement is excused and some citizens beg to be locked down inside their homes and ‘outsiders’ locked out of their state by premiers who see electoral advantage in doing so.