[cknoxrun]

Your question caused a likely ludicrous and unoriginal idea to pop into my head - I wonder if it would be possible to purposefully engineer and release a mutated form of a virus like SARS-CoV-2 that demonstrates the ability to replace more dangerous strains, but causes only mild symptoms? Essentially to accelerate a process that we hope to see happen naturally.

[snidane]

Dangerous game that is. Covid vaccines are essentially what you propose, but without the natural ability to spread. Designed to be without side effects, turns out not to be so much without side effects Only time will tell.

[paddez]

I guess, that's ultimately the idea of vaccines.