CORONAVIRUS may mutate into something which causes less harm to those it infects, an expert says.

University of Brighton virologist Dr Sarah Pitt said there is a chance for Covid-19 to “dampen itself down” over time as the virus adapts and the human body gets used to it.

It has been reported that there are as many as 200 mutations of the virus already.

But Dr Pitt says that when a new virus first emerges, a person’s immune system response can sometimes overreact and cause harsh symptoms.

She said it is possible that the disease could die down in the same way as the first Sars (Severe acute respiratory syndrome) outbreak.

That outbreak in the early 21st century was said to be more lethal, but did not go on to become a global pandemic.

Dr Pitt said: “The trouble is, because it has gone all around the world, it would be difficult to stop transmission.

“What everyone needs to remember is this is a brand new virus. It’s got into humans through a series of mutations. Viruses that normally come from animals don’t really want to be in human beings and humans don’t really want that virus to be there. Normally, we are in equilibrium with most pathogens.

“When it’s a brand-new virus, the virus is sort of going, ‘oh, my goodness, how did I get in here?’ And your human immune response, which is also developed over time through evolution, is going “Oh, my goodness. What is this thing? I don’t know”. So, some of the symptoms that you’ll see are an overreaction of the person’s immune response. Eventually, it will have to settle down.

“It’s possible that it will go away like Sars 1 did. It’s also possible that the virus itself will just mutate slightly and dampen itself down so that it is able to live in equilibrium with the human population.”

Dr Pitt spoke on a weekly question and answer session on the University of Brighton podcast.