What if what looks like a separate strain today later testing and inspection proves to be false?
What if ... the Chinese release the real numbers and origins - numbers in the millions of cases and 100s of thousands of deaths from a virus strain that they tested in the northern Uigur test area where it successfully killed 5000, and was to be transported to a holding area before being deployed in Japan, but the trucks ran off the road and the canisters spilled. Locals rushed to the scene and stole the canisters opening them to see what they were worth ...
New strains have to exist already. Their code changes a couple bits every production. Whether they raise to the level of functional differences is in question. But that is probably just a matter of time and number of infections.