Genomics, metagenomics, and pan-genomics approaches in COVID-19

The coronavirus outbreak, which initially started in Wuhan China, has rapidly led to numerous morbidities and mortalities worldwide. Although potential antiviral and antiinflammatory medicines are available, several individuals are dying daily. In order to thoroughly tackle this deadly virus, the knowledge of genomics, metagenomics, and pan genomics is required, not only to devise new treatment regimens but also to improve the present approaches. Understanding the genomic organization, diversity and structural complexity of this virus can help to figure out several previously unanswered questions. SARS-CoV-2 corona virus comprises of four major structural proteins, namely, the spike surface glycoprotein, tiny envelope protein, matrix protein, and nucleocapsid protein along with accessory proteins that contribute to pathogenesis and persistence of the virus in one way or the other. This chapter covers genomics, metagenomics, and pan-genomics-based strategies that can facilitate to figure the possible mutational recombination and trace the phylogenetic background of the species. Sequencing has been performed and the hence derived viral sequences have been deposited into exclusive repositories to speed up research and explore targeted treatment options. Moreover, immunoinformatics approaches and reverse vaccinology have been applied to speed up the process of formulating reliable, safe, and specific therapeutic options, rapidly.