The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is the greatest health-care challenge of this generation.
Early viral genome sequencing studies of small cohorts have indicated the possibility
of distinct severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genotypes.1
If these subtypes result in an altered virus tropism or pathogenesis in infected hosts,
this could have immediate implications for vaccine design, drug development, and efforts
to control the pandemic. Therefore, the genomic surveillance and characterisation
of circulating viral strains is a high priority for research and development.

Source: www.thelancet.com