I often get the opposite impression too, though. As if the control system is often baffled by humanity's resilience that they have to keep throwing them breaking factors to see if they finally break once and for all.
In a EU country there's shortage of paracetamol, ibuprofen, amoxicillin, inhaled cortisone medications... Really basic stuff, you don't hear that happening in countries like Africa or South America. It makes you wonder why now. Of course, they blame the lockdown and lower production. In the time being, the syncytial respiratory virus is affecting practically all children, while mainstream media remains for the most part silent.
There's definitely flu like there hasn't been in the last couple of winters, people having shivers, body aches and fever up to a 40 C and the darn COVID test is always negative.
A smorgasbord of viruses out there right now, and people can't even have a proper heating system at their jobs or homes. And yet, people just keep going, despite everything being thrown at them.