Yes! It is fear-mongering. I believe that for every study which says "the sky is falling," there are other studies that say the opposite, but they don't get reported. For instance, fish from Watts Bar Lake have some of the most stringent "Health Advisories" of any body of water in TN (due to proximity to Oak Ridge). Basically it says, "Don't eat any fish from Watts Bar Lake." This link is a study by the U.S. Dept. of Health (
https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/sites/oakridge/watts_bar.html) in which they tracked the health of hundreds of "moderate to high level" fish consumers from Watts Bar. One of the primary conclusions, "Only one participant in the exposure investigation had a total blood mercury level higher than 10 mcg/L (considered to be elevated). The remaining participants had mercury blood levels that ranged up to 10 mcg/L, as might be expected to be found in the general population." Some of you know I spent 30 years in the news business. I've been out for 8 years. I now firmly believe that the news business, as an institution, is 100% guilty of fear-mongering, simply because they know what we'll watch it or click on it. I am somewhat guilt-ridden because I was part of it. Of all the "Disease DeJour's" I've seen in my decades, COVID is the only "Disease DeJour" which actually proved to be as bad as the fear mongers made it out to be. The others are mostly click bait. I am climbing down from my Soap Box now.