A May 7, 2020 NYT article provides a prime example on the use of genomes to trace the spread of pathogens. The article is specifically about the Covid virus, but the principles could be used in any case involving any pathogen with a genome. Similarly, the article focuses on spread of the virus between cities and states, but the focus in a lawsuit could be on the spread of a pathogen within a specific facility, such as a nursing home, a jail, or a cruise ship. The charts in the article are quite good; they illustrate what litigators can do with genomic tracing evidence in trials and summary judgment papers.
