Vaccines offer hope for an easing of the pandemic, but the coronavirus is not loitering around, waiting to be vanquished. Two significant genetic variants in Britain and South Africa pose a challenge on top of all the other misery and suffering.

They require an urgent response and a concerted effort to scale up genomic surveillance in the United States so we aren't flying blind into the next storm.

All viruses mutate, and most mutations have little consequence. But some variants in the genetic makeup can cause significant changes in viral behavior and in the ability of vaccines to protect against it. That is why scientists have been paying special attention to the variant identified first in Britain, and the variant spotted in South Africa, as well as a new one from Brazil.

The British variant spread with remarkable speed and is now dominant there, leading to a strict lockdown. The epidemiological evidence — the scope and speed of the spread — suggested that it was more transmissible, perhaps up to 50% more, than the original virus, though it is not yet known exactly how or why.

At first, researchers said the variant did not appear to be more lethal or cause more serious illness. However, on Jan. 22, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the variant "may be associated with a higher degree of mortality," based on a report that found "there is a realistic possibility" that infection with the new variant "is associated with an increased risk of death" compared with the original virus. The data is limited, but this could foreshadow trouble in the U.S., where the new variant has a foothold.

On Monday, another concerning development was disclosed about the South African variant. Vaccine developer Moderna announced that its mRNA vaccine could successfully protect against the British variant but might have diminished impact on the South African one, though it would still offer protection. The company said "out of an abundance of caution" it was starting work on a booster candidate to use against the South African variant.

How to respond? The methods used so far — face masks, social distancing, lockdowns, good hygiene — all seem to mitigate the new variants. Hopefully, the vaccines also will work. But one missing piece is the equivalent of a tracking radar. Genetic sequencing technology has developed rapidly. It should be deployed into a massive cross-country genomic virus surveillance network for disease detection and risk assessment, then be incorporated into a global network that would provide timely alerts as the virus evolves. Such a network would be valuable not only during this pandemic but also to help spot future threats. Unfortunately, the U.S. is way behind other nations in this endeavor. The Biden administration, aware of the problem, should make it a highest priority.

FROM AN EDITORIAL IN THE WASHINGTON POST