Dr Rakesh Mishra, Director, Tata Institute for Genetics and Society, Bangalore who has been studying the genetic information of coronavirus said that genome sequencing plays a very important role in containing a pandemic like the ongoing COVID-19. He said that studying the virus genome helps in identifying the changes in the virus that may make it more contagious or dangerous. It also helps in tracking the path of the virus that helps in devising strategies for controlling infections in an area, he said.