BY > if Always Ask Questions determined this estimate by fiat, it must be true. So I will not ask any questions.
I can answer them anyway: most similar countries have 1/2 death rate. I am excluding New Zealand, etc, just looking at UK/France/Germany overall over the term of pandemic. I am not sure it is right. Maybe US has higher rates of obesity, etc, but 10% difference in vaccination and effect of non-vaccination on deaths seems to be a direct connection.
> I will just point out that the most heavily infected states in the us are the ones with the most restrictions and vice versa.
here are top states by total death rates, your statement seems to be factually incorrect:
Mississippi, Virginia, Kansas, West Virginia, South Carolina, Arizona, Arkansas
Maybe you got this impression by early observations: early hit states were on the East Coast, got most cases, got restrictive policies, people stopped dying. People in Kansas were hit slower, did not pay attention, and continue dying.