Don Pagliarani did mention that the SSPX chapels grew tremendously during the last 2 years as many Novus Ordo and Indult folks sought refuge when the diocesan churches were closed, even at locations where the governments did not force them to do so.
That does not explain the tens of millions of dollars being pumped into these new mega churches, some of which had been under construction or planned before the "pandemic". You just can't raise that amount of money in a couple of years, even if you double the amount of faithful attending a chapel.
The narrative that the sspx chapels were different during the lockdowns as promoted on their website, as somehow remaining open, was a stretch. We had no Mass, including during Easter, they removed the holy water, restricted the amount of people, roped off pews, posted signs saying masks were required, etc. How is that different from the local NO church? I think there was a coordinated advertising campaign to make it seem different, when in fact, they followed the restrictions to a tee, just as Fr. Wegner said they would. The sspx response to the lockdowns was as unCatholic as the novus ordo sect. Remember the mocking of anyone who dared question the seriousness and truthfulness of the deadly pandemic or anyone who may have seen that it was a NWO takeover on the podcast with Fr. Paul Robinson? When I saw that, I knew that the sspx was not only going to fold like a cheap suit but was actively engaged in the whole charade.