The first question is “*IS* the chinese corona virus worse than past viruses?”
Once that question has been answered (and it, to date, has NOT been answered) all other questions are derivative from an unknown.
The Chinese thought it was way worse than other flu type viruses. Their reaction to the escape, if escape it was, suggested that they thought it was much worse than it is, thought it was as bad as they had designed it to be. I believe the rest of the world reacted to the Chinese reaction, not to the actual progress of the bug.NSA would have had indications that this was a leaked(or planted) weapon and our own reaction was appropriate to that.