"Or the number of infections really doesn't mean as much as the news media and others are making it out to."
Why would this matter? Why does it matter what "the news media and others" say?
Is it mostly about deaths?
Perhaps interesting perspective:
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02335-z
https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshuacohen/2020/06/13/report-suggests-some-mildly-symptomatic-covid-19-patients-endure-serious-long-term-effects/
Longer-term sequelae, even for folks that did not require hospitalization (or maybe even completely asymptomatic?) likely will be better understood as we continue. And of course the mantra... morbidity, mortality and cost will be part of that- we will see.