Viruses Do Not Necessarily Get Less Deadly

A leading Irish epidemologist reminded listeners to Ireland's “Good Morning Ireland” programme that waiting for Covid19 to mutate into a less damaging illness is not a sensible strategy for public health authorities to follow. Speaking on the RTE Radio 1 network from Dublin, the epidemologist referred to HIV as an example of a virus that has mutated several times, but not lost any of its danger to humans over a period of many decades. The same principle must be assumed with Covid19 he said, and a policy of vaccines, social distancing and occasional lockdowns was much more effective than simply waiting.