> Heart disease kills 659,000 people a year in the US alone (https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm), but for some reason we're not having COVID-level panic about it.

I think you answered this yourself:

> Of course, heart disease isn't contagious

If heart disease were contagious and could be effectively curtailed by wearing masks and getting a vaccine, I think you'd see a similar reaction to it that you're seeing to covid.