“If the virus were weaponized, wouldn’t you expect its lethality rate to be much higher? “
Actually, no. Think about it. This virus has shut down the world and pretty much the global economy. If anything, it seems like it was designed to hasten Cloward-Piven to overload the systems of the United States, foment fear in the citizens and force panic buying fed by MSM fear mongering and condemnation of Trump for the job he is doing.
I would say this was perfect for the situation, especially in an election year.
Perhaps. It seems that the virus will cause temporary disruptions (which might affect Trump's re-election but he has time to rally if necessary). Every social and economic structure will emerge unscathed. The country is much better prepared for the next virus (God forbid) - it is almost like a test of our emergency systems. When the covid-19 epidemic passes, our nation will likely be better prepared for an epidemic than we have ever been. If the covid-19 virus is weaponized and released with ill intent, it results could wind up being counter-productive.
However, with a weaponized virus having a considerably higher mortality rate, social and economic structures are going to be significantly disrupted, possibly for a long time. Personnel shortages could develop, particularly among skilled persons who are not easily replaced in the short-term. A weaponized virus with a higher mortality rate would create all the issues we are seeing today and a host of additional ones much more difficult to fix.