the fact that shutdowns meant that less trauma and other non-covid care was needed, or thanks to creative redistribution of resources by health officials, the need to ration has been rare.

You disingenuous piece of shit, lockdowns forced people with medical conditions to exasperate and require more intensive care. You know why mental health, continuous care, and preventable illness is skyrocketing? Because hospitals and care centers said fuck you to all “non-essential” care until the “non-essential” issues became life threatening. Preventative care should have been even more essential during a pandemic, not rationed.