I believe that it was a bioweapon that would have been used if necessary by the Chicoms but sloppy procedures caused its premature release.
It could be that it was going to be used for economic destruction in the future or a work in progress that was meant to be far deadlier.
All I know is that is was made in a lab in Wuhan and was released in the most ham-handed, incompetent manner.
What makes you think this was a premature release? Was the timing not impeccable and did not all sorts of follow-on measures seem primed for action?