Of course the media sensationalize everything. That's the way they get readers and $$$. The death rates may or may not be perfectly accurate...but, for me, it's hard to overlook hospitals purchasing numerous freezer trucks because of too many bodies for the morgue or the crematoriums that are running 24/7 to dispose of the bodies or the funeral homes that are overwhelmed with so many clients or the overwhelmed nurses and doctors or the REPUBLICAN Governors of Florida and Georgia and other states who originally said the same thing as you did but are now back-peddling (and rightly so) and requiring (or at least no longer objecting to) covid19 prevention mandates.
Of course the hospitals, doctors, nurses crematoriums, morgues, freezer truck rentals may all be in cahoots with the media to pull the wool over our eyes. I doubt it.
Word of warning: I have reading more and more stories of people who, until they or their loved ones were dying, believed covid19 was exaggerated or a hoax. Unfortunately they admitted in the end that covid19 was not a hoax and wished they had been wiser. Sad.
I personally think the infection and death rates are significantly higher than reported. But I guess all we can do is act on our convictions. Good luck...sincerely.