NEW DELHI, Feb. 10 -- The COVID-19 virus got mutated 223 times in the world and its harmful effects have come done substantially over time, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said in Lok Sabha on Friday.

He also said that COVID-19 will continue to remain like influenza and its present variants are not deadly.

"When a virus gets mutated more than 100 times, its harmful effects get reduced. Covid also got mutated. So far, the Covid virus got mutated 223 times," he said during the Question Hour.

He said that like influenza, which hits people once or twice every year, "Covid is with us and it will remain".

"Covid sub-variants are not that deadly and there are no negative effects," he said.

Mandaviya said health is such an issue wher...