A valuable web  site illustrates the power and speed of using virus genomes to track and understand the global spread of #Covid19. Data includes 723 open access virus genomes and was updated 3/20. To use preprogrammed learning modules on the site, use cursor to pull up and down on the left hand side.

Courtesy of Nextstrain site, you can watch the use of genomics to trace #COVID19 spread out of Wuhan thru some amazing graphics. To do so, go to this page of site and then click on “explore the data yourself” in the upper right hand corner. Then click on “play” in upper left corner.

https://nextstrain.org/narratives/ncov/sit-rep/2020-03-20

Trevor Bedford at Fred Hutch is the driving force behind the genomic focus on the virus through the Nextstrain team, site and project. He’s tweeted and been published on best ideas on coping with virus as the ability to test for #COVID19 finally ramps up in the US.

He tweets key ideas @trvrb.

https://twitter.com/trvrb

Below, links to an article about him and the project, and current key thoughts on how to respond through a new “Apollo” level program. Well worth reading.

https://www.fredhutch.org/en/news/center-news/2020/03/tracking-covid-19-trevor-bedford.html

https://www.geekwire.com/2020/coronavirus-sleuth-outlines-apollo-program-bringing-pandemic/