>>skinke+7q
Not a biologist. But this interesting article [1] in Science Magazine, describes a possible route how SARS-CoV-2 may acquire multiple new mutations: Immunocompromised patients with long running infections.
Two cases have been independently reported in the UK and US. The patients have been infected for a duration of 101 and 154 days respectively. In both patients the virus acquired multiple new mutations, both were eventually treated with antibodies, but have still died in the end.
It looks like a weak immune response which is not sufficient to clear the virus, may help the virus by giving it the time needed to further adapt to it's human host.
[1] https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/12/uk-variant-puts-spot...