Is it as simple as they are a less “dense” population?
Reading this article puts a different spin on what happens normally in the U.K with 1600 people dying every day under”normal” circumstances every year - usually 17,000 dying of flu - but that is normally spread over 6 months whereas this virus might see the biggest impact over 6 weeks - hence the pressure on the NHS which cannot be ignored - it’s all about capacity.
The article though acknowledges that there is an overlap with “people who were going to die because of underlying conditions in the near future” and Professor Neil Ferguson who seems to be the leading expert in the U.K says as many as two thirds of deaths might have been going to happen in any event - (maybe slightly earlier than they would have been?)
But the really interesting read - the point questioning are the deaths we might save by prolonged lockdown going to be cancelled out by the deaths caused by mental issues, poverty caused by an economic crash etc. as a result of a prolonged lockdown?
I suspect we will really only know 12 months after this virus has been beaten.
Coronavirus: How to understand the death toll https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-51979654