That is a huge issue.
The death rate is irrelevant if those close to you succumb to the virus. While 1-2% doesn't sound bad compared to Ebola (80-90+%) and SARS (20%), but with huge numbers infected the number of people who due will be exponentially greater.
The huge medical push is to attempt to stop the virus from becoming established as a seasonal event. Flu mortality is roughly 0.1%,