VIRAL MUTATIONS AS A POSSIBLE MECHANISM OF HIDDEN IMMUNIZATION AND CONTAINMENT OF A PANDEMIA

Juri Dimaschko; Victor Podolsky

In this paper, we consider the role of the inherent mutability of the virus. We recognize it as the principal factor which critically suppresses the growth of novel viral epidemics. The mechanism of this suppression has a well known evolutionary nature. In plain words, once viruses get under attack of the immune systems of the infected humans, they mutate to survive in the hostile environment. Given the diminutive scale of the virus reproduction time, it is fair to assume that viruses may mutate quite fast on the human timescale. And by evolutionary principle, a less pathogenic virus strain has better survival chances. When a statistically significant number of people get infected, there should be a large number of them with strong immunity that facilitates less pathogenic virus mutations. As these people transmit their weaken strain to others, we observe some natural cross-immunisation.