# New strain category - Herpes simplex virus

**URL:** <https://nextstrain.discourse.group/t/new-strain-category-herpes-simplex-virus/562>\
**Category:** Site Feedback\
**Created:** [June 8, 2021, 3:46am UTC](https://nextstrain.discourse.group/t/new-strain-category-herpes-simplex-virus/562 "2021-06-08T03:46:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![noah22](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/dbc845/32.png) [@noah22](https://nextstrain.discourse.group/u/noah22)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 3:46am UTC](https://nextstrain.discourse.group/t/new-strain-category-herpes-simplex-virus/562/1 "2021-06-08T03:46:55Z")

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Hello,

How about start a category in the main page to add contributions about HSV 1 and 2 strains?

Thanks.

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**Author:** ![trs](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/nextstrain.discourse.group/trs/32/5_2.png) [@trs](https://nextstrain.discourse.group/u/trs)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2021, 11:00pm UTC](https://nextstrain.discourse.group/t/new-strain-category-herpes-simplex-virus/562/2 "2021-06-10T23:00:46Z")

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👋 Hi @noah22, welcome! Thanks for your suggestion. When setting up the categories, we made the intentional decision to use just a few categories and ones that weren’t pathogen-specific so that discussion wasn’t too fragmented within the fledgling community. In the future, as the community grows larger, we might reconsider and make categories for specific pathogens. For now, please feel free to post your contributions about HSV to our [General](https://nextstrain.discourse.group/c/general/5) and [Help & Getting Started](https://nextstrain.discourse.group/c/help-and-getting-started/6) categories!

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**Author:** ![bfoley](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/nextstrain.discourse.group/bfoley/32/568_2.png) [@bfoley](https://nextstrain.discourse.group/u/bfoley)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2024, 5:58pm UTC](https://nextstrain.discourse.group/t/new-strain-category-herpes-simplex-virus/562/3 "2024-02-20T17:58:40Z")

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I agree that pathogen-specific discussions would be too narrow. But a discussion group for taxonomy/nomenclature, strains and species of viruses would be good. On the other hand, this is not something that should be buried in NextStrain discussions but brought up in the larger virology community. I think there are a lot of people a bit frustrated with the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic issues with this, so it is a timely topic.

[https://cov-lineages.org/](https://cov-lineages.org/)

> **[Variants of SARS-CoV-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variants_of_SARS-CoV-2)**
>
> Variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are viruses that, while similar to the original, have genetic changes that are of enough significance to lead virologists to label them separately. SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Some have been stated, to be of particular importance due to their potential for increased transmissibility, increased virulence, or reduced effectiveness of vaccines against them. These variants co As o...

> **[XBB.1.5? BA.2.86? JN.1?: How to Understand the COVID-19 Alphabet Soup](https://news.wttw.com/2023/12/20/xbb15-ba286-jn1-how-understand-covid-19-alphabet-soup)**
>
> Although the common cold doesn’t get as many names – at least not the ones that make headlines – the specificity with which scientists talk about SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, matters because it is still such a problem.

[https://twitter.com/TRyanGregory/status/1611778593478017024?lang=en](https://twitter.com/TRyanGregory/status/1611778593478017024?lang=en)

etc…