I wonder if, as a side effect of near-universal social-distancing, we will end up eliminating any other contagious viruses, such as flu strains. Or instead, will the new selective pressure cause more widespread mutations of these viruses?
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I'm not sure about the selective pressure argument. The mutations happen regardless, and the best way to create chances for a superflu is more replications and exposures. So I expect we'll see suppression of all infectious diseases.
My naïve assumption was that the absence of similar competing strains would give the mutations the space to survive long enough to spread, where normally they would be dominated by pre-existing strains. But it's guesswork on my part, and I really don't know how the dynamics work.
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I'm not sure the extent to which viruses compete. In my mind, many viruses are probably complementary, as the immune system gets overwhelmed. There are plenty of replication factories to go around, and most viruses have strong prefs for cell type.
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Interesting question tho, I'm def not any type of authority on this!
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