That’s an interesting thought — I really can’t say.
When I think about it, I can’t even say for certain that viruses don’t plan to mutate, as a survival strategy. For all I know viruses have the capacity to organize themselves into some sort of hive mind, which has the capacity for creating strategies. Maybe the Obama White House and Pentagon used such a virus hive mind to create its ISIS strategy. Or, maybe I’ve watched one too many syfi flick.
Petering out-probably just wishful thinking...
Viruses are not alive, and are incapable of having any kind of strategy. However, the factors that enable them to propagate can almost make them seem to think. The reality is that there are many viruses that reach dead ends and do not propagate, but we never see those. We only see the mutants that do propagate. So the illusion is that they analyze intelligently and adapt themselves to their environment.