From what I know of 80s history, the Reagan administration was criticised for doing too little about the new AIDS crisis, until his personal friend Rock Hudson became sick. Meanwhile our government organised free condoms and even needle exchanges.
I guess there are a lot of parallels with the current pandemic. But if your statistic is right, as many people have died of COVID in America in the last two years, as have of AIDS in the last 40! So I wouldn't say Fauci over hyped anything, stop pointing your assault rifles at the messenger.