Be careful what you wish for!

I believe you are right in that the earth does naturally balance nature, and not getting political but if we look at global warming, this has been around many times whilst mankind was not even on earth.  I understand what you are saying, and it is likely that COVID-19 will cause many deaths, certainly into 6, maybe even 7 figures, but I do not believe it is the wipe out of mankind anymore than the spanish flu of 1918 was.

I think that if your theory was to be correct then nature really hasn't chosen a very efficient method?

I'm sorry to say but the figures do not warrant or back up your thesis.

This pandemic has to date only accounted for approximately 0.00003% of the earths population, I think. I may have put one too many 0 in the percentage but you get the gist. Even if we were to quadruple the deaths it will not make much of an impact in the march of Homo Sapien.

Personally, I think mankind can be the architect of his/her own demise. Either that or the universe will take care of us. Watch out for that speeding meteorite!

I don't know why the earth was formed or why we're here but it's not for long, we're mere specks in time and I hope we get a chance to survive. 

The expected global death rate from corona virus is well below the birth rate, so the argument does not stand scrutiny 
Viruses does not want to kill its hosts, viruses want to reproduce 

Natures shows us that if a virus  is to severe,  and kills to many host,  it is the viruses that are less severe that eventually become dominant, and the most severe die out 

I hope the most optimistic of you are right,  But I am not going to underestimate the power of Nature.  What has gone before is no guarantee that this will apply in the future. With this current pandemic, the infection rate has still increased exponentially even after measures for control were introduced. It beggars belief that all those infected had been in the habit of intimate contact with others, so just how much risk occurs by just passing others briefly?  A handshake? Brushing past someone?  Picking up objects which have previously been handled by others?  What if this virus mutates and becomes resistant to all known drugs or disinfectants? - in much the same way that the medical profession are concerned that we are running out of options with our antibiotics.

Relying on the birth rate to resolve matters is not practical.  Infants take a long time to themselves become self sufficient, and the older generations have to be there to nurse  and nurture them.

What should happen when this is over, is that world leaders and scientists be extra careful before introducing alien strains into society, including animal welfare and hygiene.  As technology progresses, we ourselves have developed an ever increasing range of abilities to wipe ourselves out.  We are far from being invincible.

I think in recent history wars have been doing a better job. The second world accounted for about 69 million persons and took us decades to recover from. Add on the countless wars since and the total is horrendous.

Le Touriste, when this outbreak is over and it will be over just as other outbreaks have died out like Sars and Mers we'll find out more. They are part of the same coronavirus group and the whole outbreak will be researched carefully. It might be helpful to understand the coronavirus by looking it up on Wiki or similar. See how far back some of the viruses go and how the planet adapts to these things over time, they're not new, they're continually happening. 

Agree 100% with that.

I've quoted the songwriter Joni Mitchell many times before now - how about this verse from the song Hejira for one of the cleverest set of song lyrics ever -

"I know, no one's going to show me everything
We all come and go unknown
Each so deep and superficial
Between the forceps and the stone"

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5AfPR_B8s-A

I think you need to, as Brue says, do some research on viruses.

With this current pandemic, the infection rate has still increased exponentially

yes but as with any virus this doesn't carry on forever, the curves will (and shows sign already) of flattening and falling. In China there are very few new cases.

What if this virus mutates and becomes resistant to all known drugs or disinfectants?

A Virus will mutate all the time but so far they get less deadly when they do. And if that isn't the case then simple soap is far far effective than disinfectant, A virus has a fatty layer, simple soap will dissolve that fat layer and the virus becomes inactive. That will always happen.  

world leaders and scientists be extra careful before introducing alien strains into society...

I have missed this, sorry which world leaders and scientists have been introducing alien strains into society?

we ourselves have developed an ever increasing range of abilities to wipe ourselves out.

Yes we do have abilities to wipe ourselves out but now you are changing your theory and argument, I though you said:

My claim was that Nature would one day address the balance by producing some form of catastrophe

So which do you mean? nature or our own inventions?