John M. Barry in his 2004 book, The Great Influenza about the 1918 flu pandemic, in chapters 14 and 15 describes how the influenza virus increased in virulence after the initial 5 or 6 months as a result of passage, changing its nature as it was transmitted to the newly infected. Health and medical experts were wrong-footed. Medicine is more knowledgeable now, but a virus can proceed in subtle and diverse ways that even expertise might not anticipate. Is there a risk that as bad as this pandemic is, things will get worse? Is there risk of increasing virulence?
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