Quote Originally Posted by Guisslapp View Post
Not exactly. Viruses mutate very easily and it is the replication in a host cell that causes mutation. Thus, the real driver of mutation in viruses is transmission itself. The more people that get it, the more opportunity to mutate. The more opportunity to mutate, the more mutations, giving rise to more transmissible variants.

That is not to say it’s evolution isn’t Darwinian - it is. The viral mutations that lead to better replication will become the dominant one, all else being equal. It is at this stage, and after “immunity” (in this case meaning the presence of effective antibodies for the particular virus) across the population is high where the immunity allows for the preferential domination by variants that defeat this immunity.

But if you have the immunity, the virus is less likely to use YOU as the host that produces the new mutation in the first place.

But that doe
Why did you stop? You were explaining "network marketing" to us --you know, the more people get it, the more opportunity there is to mutate, and the more opportunity to mutate, the more mutations, etc...-- and then you just stopped. Are you a Mary Kay Cosmetics rep who drives a pick Caddy? Inquiring minds want to know.