People died of unhealthy sanitation conditions related with animals back in the 1400s plague, it was obvious people dropping died from one cause. CDC reports covid deaths with only 6% purely covid virus along with 94% or at least 4 other health conditions a person could of died from. About 76% over age 80 or obesity.
More people die of poverty than anything, so economy is most vital for sanitation conditions. The rich live much longer and that is not equal in any way.

Economy will sink closer to a third world level conditions as the US lowers its life span by 2 years. Everything is collapsing around them.

My unvaxxed circle community, had zero covids. At least test the vaccines on animal first, with result where the animals survived first.

Problem is a lot of the aged community are also the wealthy. Yes, it's bounced back but mostly due to Democrats. We will end up in a swamp again if republicans take over.

@JackPedigo It's proven people do not choose to be poor. Every trope we hear from the conservative right about the lazy wellfare queen, they're going to take your job away or just pull yourself up by the boot straps has been debunked and intelligent thinking people know this.
Sadly too many in positions of power still use those nasty tropes to stay in power.
All that aside, over population or climate disasters will continue to worsen so it's a toss up as to what will thin the herd.

@silverotter11 Maybe some don't choose to be poor but many do so because of sheer stupidity or laziness. A lot of people who believe the crap from conservatives are poor and simply looking for someone else to blame.

@JackPedigo It may appear that way but a lot has to do with what you see and learn growng up. It most definately started with how social safety net programs, new zoning laws, housing and how tax dollars were dispersed for all those programs needs. The people of color in the south excluded from GI benefits, redlining, better funding of education to the white areas, etc. If you're not exposed to good budgeting, education and opportunities it's hard to advance. One of the biggest issues to wards homelessness started under reagan when mental health facilites were shuttered.
Hell when I was working in the early 1990's in a printing shop one of my co-workers, an Iranian guy whose family fled during the whole Shah thing asked me how I had money left to put into savings at the end of the week or month. I said, budget, paid the needed stuff first, the bare bones basics, watch for sales, don't buy shit you don't have the money for or only do lay away cause even at that time credit cards were starting to get people into serious trouble.
BUT if you only have enough to a single roll of TP at the local 7-11 because you never have enough to shop for better deals you almost can never get ahead.
It started with defunding education. Uneducated people are suckers and they don't even know they're being played. The welfare cycle is not entirely to blame, it's the laws that kept the poor especially people of color from accruing generational wealth and ALL the economic policies since reagan have been directed at going after the white middle classes meager generational wealth and adding it to the bank accounts of the already weathy. All IMHO