So, which is it? Is it a deadly pathogen or relatively harmless bug? My sense is that it spreads very quickly, but is only slightly more deadly than the flu, with most of its lethality saved for the old and those with serious existing conditions. So, why the hysteria?

'Deadly pathogen' sells more newspapers. The media is a huge part of the problem - they don't ask question - just whip up fear to promote compliance with the order of the day.

Lest we forget, the media is a main pillar of society - it's not in the media's interests to question the fundamentals of that - on the contrary - it's about reinforcing the system and getting people to comply with it. Fear is the go-to weapon in this exercise - always has been.

Here's a quote that goes to what you mentioned at the beginning of this thread:

Dr Yang Hui, associate professor, Monash University:

"It is reasonable to have safety concerns over any COVID-19 vaccine, because the development processes have been largely shortened from about 10 years to less than one year. The published data of vaccines being used internationally for emergency purposes are not detailed enough.(Vaccines)need to be continuously monitored for both safety and efficacy, especially their long-term health effects."

I'll bet my farm you won't hear any politician telling us to listen to that particular expert.