The fact that he was hospitalized and pumped up with experimental drugs kind of indicates that it is something to be afraid of.

Using death as the metric of whether or not it's something to be worried about is short sighted. Death is only one extreme result.
And I think people recognize that.

What this episode also puts front and center is how quickly and easily it spreads. And the importance of prevention (like masks and distancing). Things that Trump and them continue to mock.