Without hosts the virus dies
The ratio of positive results over non-positive results from covid-19 tests, and the total number of reported cases — these things reflect only the number of those persons actually tested. Those persons tested are heavily weighted toward those showing suspicious symptoms. This is in no way an accurate sampling of the general population.
Also, reported deaths from covid-19 are not altogether accurate. All that the number of deaths means is that someone died, and that person had tested positive for covid-19. In many cases, covid-19 may have only been a contributing factor, and in some cases, death may have occurred even without the covid-19 infection. During this period of covid-19 infections, in Europe, the actual total mortality rates for all causes has actually dropped.
This covid-19 pandemic is often portrayed in the media as a horse race, whereas it is more like theaters of war with an ongoing injury and death count.
The current strategy for defeating the pandemic amounts to forcing on the population the herd immunity theory which is built on a statistical model which is open to question.
If we fought the pandemic like a war, we would choose positions from which to begin our advance on the enemy, then begin mass territorial testing, isolate those within the territory who test positive, thereby neutralizing the enemy — the virus — while allowing those testing negative to return to normal life. Within about two weeks to four weeks, the enemy — the virus — would be almost completely isolated and neutralized. Without hosts, the virus dies. Only after the enemy has been driven out should we consider implementing a theory of herd immunity from a return of the virus.