It's the WHO, and China that have been giving the wrong information. They said, "it wasn't a pandemic", "masks were not required", and "don't use Hydroxychloroquine". 
The last point may have been prudent. People have been self-medicating with aquarium cleaner (and dying) because it has chloroquine in it. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/03/24/coronavirus-chloroquine-poisoning-death/
COVID-19 doesn't attack the lungs. It attacks the red blood cells, by making it lose the ability to carry Oxygen, and CO2, in and out of the lungs.
It definitely infects the lungs, at least in severe cases. That causes an inflammation response, which makes it difficult to get enough oxygen.
Whatever the details are, it's bad news.