This supposed new strain is said to be "highly contagious." Highly contagious and high mortality don't go together in viruses. The more contagious, the less dangerous, because you can't spread if you kill your host quickly. *Every* virus mutates to a less dangerous, more transmissible form at some point. SARS-2.0 Electric Jewgaloo is no different. And given the current version everyone's all panicked over is not that dangerous, the "new strain" is probably just them detecting the common fucking cold.