Re:Pooping hippos create ‘community guts’ in African ponds
by heavyset_go on Monday December 13, 2021 @03:50AM
(#29537910)
> Arguably the same thing might be happening with the Omicron variant which early data suggests is much much milder than previous variants
The evolutionary selection pressure that can result in weaker viral variants comes down to the fact that deadlier viral genetics die off in the corpses they create from their hosts, sometimes leaving only the weaker genetics in the hosts that didn't die. That selection pressure really isn't there for any of the COVID variants, especially with its long incubation time. The virus is free to mutate into stronger variants in the mean time.
The evolutionary selection pressure that can result in weaker viral variants comes down to the fact that deadlier viral genetics die off in the corpses they create from their hosts, sometimes leaving only the weaker genetics in the hosts that didn't die. That selection pressure really isn't there for any of the COVID variants, especially with its long incubation time. The virus is free to mutate into stronger variants in the mean time.