Of the approximately 30,000 letters in the virus’s genome, only one differed between the two sequences. The Cambodian report helped confirm the accuracy of the PCR test, and it revealed that only minor changes in the sequences were appearing. The virus did not seem to be mutating substantially — an indication that the disease would be easier to test for, treat and vaccinate against. As such, her lab and others like it could serve as an early-warning system for the next potential pandemic. Opening the black boxDr. Manning, 40, began her career examining not new diseases but known ones that mostly afflicted the developing world.

Source: New York Times February 16, 2021 07:30 UTC