I'm asking the same question myself. And I think that the virulence factor of this virus has to be taken into account. Perhaps the long incubation period before symptoms show also makes this spread slower to build up, and so it may not fit into the regular flu season cycle, in terms of when it peaks and when it really tapers down to be considered over.
But on the virulence factor, once it is able to gain entry into the lung cells, it's creating what I consider an auto-immune response where mucous is secreted which becomes very thick and this makes breathing - the regular exchanges of gases in and out - very difficult. Since oxygen is needed for our energy production which our immune system relies on greatly, this would have the effect of weakening the immune system, and this becomes the opportunity for bacteria within our system to become pathogenic.
Another important factor that plays into this is the learning curve. This is not a typical flu virus, and the tools needed to keep it from causing the body into a weakened state, leading to a progression into a deeper state of pathology, isn't well developed. So, there currently isn't a response that effectively keeps confined patients from turning into ICU patients.
I don't know what the doctors in China, Taiwan, Singapore, Hongkong, South Korea, Japan, and perhaps Germany are doing, but if there's a best practice that has to be shared and rolled out to other countries, it can make it easier for other countries to deal with the situation.
