The problem with new variants is that it takes months to know how virulent and how transmissible it is. Such research enables better prediction from the point of detecting and sequencing such variants.
We know now that Omicron's spike protein is responsible for the better transmission and better immunological evasion. If we see a new variant with Omicron's spike protein, but modified, we can first of all tell it's going to be better at evasion. If there are changes in parts that are highly selected, it's probably more transmissive. If that part is less selected-for (there are ways to tell from the sequence) we have a clue that it is probably a little less transmissive. We also know that the spike protein is less associated with the virulence. Which means researchers have to keep looking for what makes the Virus deadly. This could lead to more effective vaccines and antibody treatments or even antiviral agents. Knowing which protein to target is half the game.