The effect of Covid-19 and respiratory infections on mortality

The effect of Covid-19 and respiratory infections on mortality in Bulgaria in the last 5 years.

Remember the winter flu epidemic in 2017? No, right? Then the flu epidemic was more dramatic than the current situation with Covid-19.

These are the data on mortality in Bulgaria from 2015 until today. Data for the last two weeks (W45 and W46) are extrapolated based on data on daily mortality from Covid-19. They are also the most accurate parameter for the severity of the situation with respiratory infection in winter. The other parameter is the number of patients ventilated, but I do not have access to this information

So far we have not passed the levels of 2017. We may pass them, but for now the data say otherwise.

The question is different. Why is there such a huge panic now and 2017 was not?