Evolution

Here's a thought: the chances of a virus mutating - or evolving - increase proportionally to the rate of transmission. The reason for this is that it can only mutate when it reproduces itself, and the higher the number of cases, the higher the chance of a mutation occurring are. We've already seen this, which reiterates the importance of early and hard action to mitigate transmission.

Now, if that's the case, then surely human evolution, which depends on beneficial mutations, should be moving along faster with population growth, but the rate of mutations, or genetic drift, seems to be remaining constant.

However, here's the rub - a virus produces an identical replica of itself, except when it mutates and an error occurs in the replication. However, that mutation then goes of to produce identical replicas of itself. Humans, however, use sexual reproduction and don't replicate identical versions of themselves - they're a genetic mixture of two individuals - so there's a lower chance of any mutations being passed on. Additionally, as the human population increases, the mutation risks becoming swamped, making it far more difficult for mutations to become fixed in the population. Human genetics become diluted with larger populations, whereas viruses' genetics do not, except by more mutations.

It's being mooted that Neanderthal genes provide some protection against Covid, as does the O blood group. That may explain why I haven't had it yet...