Next-Generation Sequencing, or NGS, has made big improvements in the study of viruses. It helps doctors and scientists find out if someone has a viral infection and understand how viruses spread. NGS allows detailed studies of viral genomes, which are the complete sets of genetic material in viruses. This helps us learn about the variety of viruses, how they move from one person to another, and how they change over time.

How NGS Helps Us Understand Viruses:

1. Better Testing:

   • Traditional tests often look for specific virus genes, which means they can only find known viruses. NGS can find both familiar and new viruses in one test.
   • Research shows that NGS can detect viral RNA with up to 98% accuracy, while regular tests only check between 70% and 80%.

2. Identifying Different Virus Types:

   • NGS helps scientists tell apart different strains of a virus and spot changes or mutations. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers studied over 25,000 genome sequences from SARS-CoV-2 to find concerning variants.
   • About half of these sequences showed mutations that could change how easily the virus spreads, showing how important NGS is for keeping track of virus changes in real-time.

3. Understanding How Viruses Spread:

   • NGS data can help track how viruses spread and where outbreaks start. For instance, during the 2014 Ebola outbreak, NGS was used to find the first case and follow how the virus moved through different areas.
   • This method gave accurate estimates of how quickly the virus was spreading, which is crucial for public health efforts.

In summary, NGS is a powerful tool in the study of viruses. It provides important information about different viral strains and how they spread, making it easier to diagnose viral infections effectively.