COVID19 is part of a long-running CCP bioweapon unrestricted warfare program with benefits such as damaging open Western societies and providing pretexts for anti-dissident crackdown and social control. Other viruses originating in China have likely also been this kind of bioweapon.
COVID19 was a deliberate release intended to infect the US competitors in the Wuhan military games to frame the USA for a biowarfare attack on China. The US contestants were infected in China and then the infection was suppressed via HCQ as part of a "malaria treatment". The intent being they would return to the USA and then spread the virus.
However, execution was poor, and as a result Wuhan was hit first, and the CCP was unable to credibly blame the USA.
The timing was intended to collaborate with Democrats to prevent the reelection of Trump, to crack down on the HK dissident movement, to deal with economic pressure from Trump's negotiations, etc.
Ideally, China would have been seen as an international savior, with a ready vaccine and a model response. CCP leadership were protected via HCQ and suffered minimal casualties.