Viruses need to mutate to become either lethal or non-lethal.
The early version from Europe does not appear to be lethal as there was no recorded rush to hospitals to get emergency treatment or deaths.
The later version which came out of Wuhan (Feb 2020) was deadly and very infectious - not only in China, but in Europe and across the world as well.
Looks like the path of this virus is very similar to the Swine Flu Virus.
Swine Flu first appear (should say reappear as its in the same family group as the Spanish Flu) in 2005. That version was not that infectious and was non-lethal. But the 2009 version caused a global pandemic.
