As you said, evolution has been positive in some way but the human brain is not wired to see so far ahead. It seems it only cares for what it saw based on experience, adapt this to new events, move the thought/promise/non-immediate threat elsewhere. It does not even have to be active denial.
Seeing the virus kills a few people nearby, but not understanding that the rate of spreading is exponential, and what this means in a week, or eight.
Humans only see their immediate intuitive neighbourhood, also in time.
Re once more the "caveman diplomacy", mankind was more advanced in the last century. But evolution does not always mean improvement in a human 'positive' sense.
The winner, at least temporarily:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hesiocaeca_methanicola
Methane gas may also have been the reason for the Mexico oil spill, ships or floats of any kind are not able to float on methane saturated water. When methane bubbles rise ..
https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE65L6IA20100622