The more irrational libertarians deny or downplay the virus, the more rational people it pushes closer to statism.
Downplaying the virus doesn’t lead to more freedom lovers and hence more freedom, it leads to more statists and people who want to get away from the crazies who continue to deny the facts of the virus (those who downplay it).
The best course we have for not pushing people away from freedom is to take the middle road of honesty and admit to the facts that the virus is a threat to many high risk people but that statism isn’t the best option for handling the virus.
Sadly too many libertarians jump to conspiracies instead of facts and empiricism and hence push people away from freedom. It’s even worse because it leads people to think that the state is the only scientifically truthful position when it’s actually one of the worst tenants of science.