"The virus is basically the same the world-over."

Is that right? It may be, but I have seen no study of regional variation in the virus. The Wikipedia page on SARS-COV-2 talks about the difference between it and pangolin viruses, but nothing on regional variation or lack of.

There has been research into regional variations. They use techniques that were used to prove archeological migration patterns "out of Africa" and all that. The report I saw was in the Telegrope, and it showed a correlation for Europe & Australia. China was different enough to throw a spanner in the homespun theories of transmission routes. I can't see a Tory bias making that up! The Telegrope is not that subtle.

AND

Yer viral overload results in an over-active immune response where the knowledgeable (on more considered TV) use words like cytokine storm. However you look at it, the body itself attacks you. Hence the temperature.