It's totally understandable to feel doubt! Can't argue with that, and I'll never blame you for feeling it. But the best you can do is take in the raw data and come to your own conclusions.

MSM has almost always had the motive to show the most dramatic stories in order to grab the attention of viewers, hence the popular phrase "if it bleeds, it leads." Tabloid journalism took off many years ago because sensationalized headlines grabbed the attention of people looking for juicy stories. So, it's understandable how so many attention grabbing headlines, especially about the omicron variant, can be confusing especially when the scare tactics end up not being true.

Best advice I can give is to sit slowly on the data that you come across. Listen, but verify with the sources you hear things from. If claims are being made that interest you, dig a bit deeper, learn as much as you can yourself instead of trusting the words of someone else. There's a lot of objective data you can take in that doesn't revolve around narrative, but is just black and white facts, and from there you can build your knowledge.

I think you are a great person to have these discussions with. You're asking the right questions, absolutely. There's a ton of info out there available to you. Just don't let feelings of doubt restrict you from looking up the information that can provide you answers.

All the best to you! Have a good one!