LONDON — UK scientists are to track the spread of the new coronavirus and watch for emerging mutations by using gene sequencing to analyze the strains causing thousands of COVID-19 infections across the country, Britain said on Monday. Researchers will collect data from samples from infected patients in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, the government said in a statement. At least 281 Britons have died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus that has spread around the world in a pandemic. "This virus is one of the biggest threats our nation has faced in recent times, and crucial to helping us fight it is understanding how it is spreading," said Sharon Peacock, director of Public Health England's (PHE) national infection service.

Source: International New York Times March 23, 2020 00:00 UTC