I would not describe this process as efficient. It has no memory: mutations could be randomly done and undone. A huge majority of mutations lead to non viable viruses, still keep occurring again and again. Of course it successfully adapts to changing conditions, but without that that would not even be an optimization algorithm. Given huge resources we would have no difficulty simulating such a process. At a smaller scale it has inspired genetic algorithms and a large family of stochastic algorithms, which had to be carefully refined to become useful. We do not have the same resources and the same patience as Mother Nature.

Exactly!

Overall, Mother Nature is actually pretty resource efficient.