The short answer is that actual public health professionals are taking this pandemic a lot more serious than the OP and some very stupid conservative commentators. They understand the severity of the illness in many cases, the lack of cure and the potential for mass spread among the general population. It could very easily completely overwhelm the U.S. healthcare system. People would be left to die in waiting rooms.
Italy is considering, as of today, denying critical care to anyone over 80. This has never happened before, to my knowledge. As for them knowing that people are dying from Covid-19, (and not just some random cause that looks exactly like it), that question doesn't deserve any keystrokes.
