Bedford is now trying to assist with the next stages in containing and combating the COVID-19 pandemic. He and his team run a project called Nexstrain that tracks multiple pathogens, including flu, tuberculosis, West Nile virus, and now SARS-CoV-2. As of March 20, the phylogenetic tree for SARS-CoV-2 included 855 genome sequences of different strains. The genetic sequences catalogued in Nexstrain and other genomic databases will allow infectious disease specialists to monitor any worrisome changes to the virus.
So far, there is no sign that the virus is becoming any more deadly or infectious—although neither is it becoming any less so. Near-stasis is typical for a new human pathogen. From an evolutionary perspective, SARS-CoV-2 is already doing a great job of reproducing itself. It’s therefore feeling little evolutionary pressure to change. The viruses will just keep doing their thing until they are contained, or until they have killed their hosts. End quote
