Skip to main content Currently Reading Where coronavirus variants emerge, surges follow - new research suggests how genomic surveillance can be an early warning system Bart C. Weimer, University of California, Davis May 5, 2021 FacebookTwitterEmail Bart C. Weimer, University of California, Davis and Darwin Bandoy, University of California, Davis (THE CONVERSATION) Genomic surveillance programs have let scientists track the coronavirus over the course of the pandemic. By testing patient samples, researchers are able to diagnose COVID-19. But they’re also able to use genetic changes in the virus to recreate its travel routes and identify the emergence of new viral variants.