Reality of the severity of COVID-19?

I find it amazing that with all of the hype over the past three months about social distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing, businesses being shut down, and no contact less than 6 ft. among people, these protests that have cropped up don't mention any of the fears about COVID-19.   It's as if everything just went away and there's no more mention of being ordered to stay away from one another.  Hordes of protestors are marching everywhere, in very close proximity.  Now, if none of them get sick and no one dies from the virus as a result of the protests, what does that say about the validity of the seriousness of the COVID-19?  Did the entire world need to be shut down?