COVID-19 is affecting human life all around the world today , it is clear that future genomic advances may be the key to identify virus outbreaks early , to quickly understand viruses in order to develop vaccines or use genetic modification to deactivate the viruses . Imagine treating any deadly viruses directly in our body by tweaking its genome to make it harmless ! We would all be able to get back to normal life much more quickly .
There is no doubt that genomics will continue to have a profound effect on our lives in the decades to come . We need to ensure that positive effects far outweigh the negative e f f e c t s , a n d t h at t h e overarching goal of genomics is to lessen the suffering that happens in today ' s society .
There are ethical and legal considerations arising from having each person ’ s genome sequenced . It has created a huge influx of personal data security , data sharing , and data ownership issues that could violate universal human rights .
Who should have access to genetic records and how can they be used ? How can we ensure no discrimination based on genetic disorders ? How could knowing your genome sequence impact your view on life ? Is it right to manipulate nature ? These are tough questions that will have to be thought through to ensure fair and safe implementation of human genome based applications .