AIDS has killed over 30 million people

Yes, but over a 40 year span. That doesn't make it any less of a personal tragedy to whomever it happens to. All I meant is that while extremely dangerous it is hard to pass on. The opposite happens with herpes.

basically anything can be called a pandemic, irrespective of how serious the threat actually is.

Well yes.

So then people panic, aided by the media who capitalize on the word for the purposes of fear-mongering.

Yes, but that is the responsibility of the media and the governments, not of the doctors. Well, not usually. I'm not sure I'm comfortable with how doctors have managed the information released about Covid.

Do people think that the COVID-19 response is in proportion to it's threat, and why or why not?

In most places, no. In most places it's been over the top. Why? Because it has led to very negative non Covid social consequences: economic crisis with unemployment and business closures; suicides, domestic violence, drug abuse, [non organized] crime; to name the most salient.

The disease certainly exists and is fatal. However that is no reason to promote panic from the microphones of government offices and media.

I just read that some place just reported zero deaths by seasonal flu during January 2021, something unprecedented. That's evidently false reporting: flu deaths are just being labelled Covid deaths because of the incentives hospitals have to report Covid.