The thing is, has COVID in another guise already done the rounds and we simply discounted it because infection did not result in death?
I recall being ill four years back in Jan 2016, peak time for the Chinks here in Pattaya, with symptoms very similar to those exhibited by COVID i.e fatigue, headaches, a throat so sore it was like swallowing razor blades and then a dry cough and general debility.
The science is just catching up but what we need quickly is an advance in a cheap and swift serological testing regime so that people can find out if their blood contains antibodies indicating a previous COVID-like infection.