Gov. Larry Hogan announced Tuesday that Maryland is increasing its sequencing testing of coronavirus tests by more than 100%. The sequencing will detect any variants circulating in the state.|| Coronavirus updates | Maryland's latest numbers | Get tested | Vaccine Info ||The increased testing is through a partnership with the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins. It will hopefully give Marylanders the edge in what Hogan called the race between the vaccines and the variants.Maryland online vaccination site locatorVaccine Data DashboardMaryland vaccination plan FAQs“To do any productive action, we need to actually be looking for them and make sure we're tracking them and keeping on top of them,” Dr. Gigi Gronvall, of Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security said. Three coronavirus variants have already been identified in Maryland, which is why Hogan announced the state is more than doubling its virus sequencing of positive coronavirus tests through partnerships with Johns Hopkins and UMD.“Increasing the sequencing allows us to know exactly what different forms of the virus are circulating in Maryland. Those key sequences would be important as far as determining if we need to make a booster dose of vaccine,” Dr. Matthew Laurens, of the University of Maryland School of Medicine said.As of now, doctors said the current vaccines are effective against all of the known mutations.State health officials said in most of the 60 confirmed variant cases, the patient did not travel, so that means community transmission is already happening and doctors said there are almost certainly more cases undetected. The sequencing samples will target patients most at risk for variants, like those who have already had the virus recently.“That reinfection or new infection, that's a very serious circumstance we'd want to know more about. The second individual would be someone whose been vaccinated with either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine and then would be diagnosed with COVID-19,” Laurens said.Doctors said this virus has probably mutated before and likely will again. These mutations are more contagious, but not necessarily more deadly, but that could change in the future.“Other viruses there have been mutations that have led it to become more of a problem for the individual. Right now, we're seeing it’s not so much of a problem if you're infected with one of these variants as much as it's a problem for those around you because you might be more transmissible to other people,” Gronvall said.Doctors said the safety measures already in place like wearing masks, washing hands and social distancing are still your best defense against these variants.