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All virus's mutate over time and the mutation is always progressively less damaging to the host. The mutation that propagates the most is the one that causes the host the least harm, it's simple science. In 20 years time covid 19 will just be another variant of the common cold

[user104658]

Originally Posted by bitontheslide

All virus's mutate over time and the mutation is always progressively less damaging to the host. The mutation that propagates the most is the one that causes the host the least harm, it's simple science.

ALMOST always, it's true that the virus will tend to evolve towards survivability - which means being able to live in the host for as long as possible without being defeated by the immune system or killing the host (the "perfect virus" is symptomless). Of course, random mutations could always make things worse either "by accident" or by the mutation increasing transmissibility whilst leaving effects the same.

But yes in general viruses become less severe as they adapt to the physiology of the host species.

That's why we keep getting them from animals; these viruses are active in animals with no symptoms at all, but they will at some point in the past have been "new" to the bats/pigs/birds etc. and will have had symptoms and killed a number of them.

In 20 years time covid 19 will just be another variant of the common cold

That depends entirely on how widespread it becomes over the next couple of years. If we do successfully suppress it, it'll stick around in roughly the same form (like SARS, Ebola, etc.) because to adapt it needs to propagate.