Initial reports were dire coming out of Wuhan. However we knew even just weeks later that reports were suppressed and yet some were exaggerated and manipulated by China as their actions worsened effect of it. Then all that disinformation was passed on through the WHO and the NIH to make policy for it here. That quickly morphed into outright lies and coverups. We were systemically over attributing deaths to pump up the rate to justify the govts draconian policies, and the fear generated was successful on nearly everyone for short while to even question it, until actual effect was witnessed by people over time. Initially everyone feared catching it, then the real stats started to leak, and people who were not child like trusting of govt became confused then angry then rebellious. But then you had people claiming it was a hoax etc. Its real, just not what a lot of people were claiming.
As far as eradicating viruses, I don't think it's possible. The difference is for things like polio, the vaccine actually works and was developed to eradicate the virus, where the Covid vaccine they can't even tell what it does exactly either through ineffectiveness, if not designed for other purpose.
