According to the UK Public Health England weekly report released last week

A total of 1,462 new admissions (111 influenza A(H1N1pdm09), 340 influenza A(H3N2), 954 influenza A(not subtyped) and 57 influenza B) and 70 confirmed deaths have been reported in the UK since week 40 2019.

This sounds like the normal UK flu season has killed more people than the Coronavirus so far. If you compare the population of China to the population of the UK this suggests that what we are experiencing (at a typical annual level) is far more serious. As you say it doesn't make much sense.