Deaths, and the number in basic and critical care, are indeed more consistent indicators of overall infection prevalence than positive test results. But caution is needed because vaccination – with all its variables of which vaccine, how many shots, how far apart and to which vulnerability groups – is decreasing the number of severe cases relative to infections.
But comparing most EU countries / US states etc. is a bit like divination from tea leaves or something; they’re all much of a muchness. There may be differences of a factor of ten at any given moment, but over time this proves insignificant in comparison to the few countries and various islands that are implementing a strategy of elimination. Their infection, care and deaths numbers are all 100 to 1000 times lower, and their people on average have spent a fraction of the time under lockdown.