The World Health Organization (WHO) is closely tracking a new version of the omicron variant.

It is known as BA. 2.

Scientists are referring to the original omicron variant as BA. 1.

It should be noted that BA. 2 is not a new variant, but rather a descendant of omicron.

The new version has been detected in India, Denmark, Britain, the United States, and other countries.

It appears to be most widespread in Denmark and has become the dominant form of the virus there.

There are a handful of confirmed cases in the U.S., including in Texas and Washington state.

Houston Methodist Hospital in Texas is studying the genetic makeup of virus samples from patients.

Some doctors are dubbing BA. 2 as “stealth omicron” because it is difficult to identify on PCR tests.

The WHO has directed officials to investigate BA. 2’s characteristics and whether it is as contagious as the original variant.

There is no evidence currently that shows that BA. 2 is more contagious or more severe.

British virologist Tom Peacock of the Imperial Department of Infectious Disease tweeted that data suggests current vaccines will be effective against BA. 2.

Tax season kicks off Monday, but the pandemic continues to impact filing.

The big takeaway this year is to not rush. Accountants suggest taking a second look to make sure all documents are in order, particularly those regarding COVID-19 relief payments.

“Typically, you’d want to wait until the early part of February unless you are 100% sure you have these items when you file,” said CPA Joshua Jenson, founder of Jenson and Companies in Oklahoma City.

Jenson said the best way to avoid delays is to wait until you receive two letters from the IRS: documents for the third stimulus payment and the child tax credits.

“On your 2021 tax return, if you didn’t get the full amount, this is where you get the rest of those dollars that are due to you,” he said.

Experts also advise taxpayers to take advantage of a new deductible this season.

“The new big deduction in 2021 that’s very exciting is that you can deduct up to $600 in charitable contributions directly on form 1040 even if you do not itemize your deductions,” he said. “Do not miss that. It’s right there on Form 1040.”

Jenson said that while the pandemic may have caused some returns to be delayed last year, he doesn’t expect things to be the same this year.

“The IRS has done a phenomenal job, as well as the Oklahoma Tax Commission, at where it’s possible, having their agents either work remotely or in a safeguard situation that allows returns to continue to be processed,” he said.

Another thing to keep in mind before filing is that employers had until Jan. 21 to send W-2s.

Manufacturers and retailers both pointing the finger at each other for the shortage. Joan Driggs the VP of content and thought leadership for IRI market research company, explains.

Alex Livingston: So, what are some of the contributing factors that are causing baby formula shortages at some retail locations?

Joan Driggs: I think it's a couple of things. First of all, it's a far different purchase than anything else that you buy in the store. There are shared supply chain challenges all across the board with Omicron trying to keep, or keeping truckers off the roads, keeping people out of stores able to stock the shelves, keeping people in manufacturing plants away from work. So that's shared across the entire supply chain. But what's unique to baby formula is that it's such an emotional purchase. You know, this is not buying breakfast cereal for the family where if your preferred brand or your preferred size isn't available, you can find other options that will tie you over. This is something that you really, these caregivers, these parents, and others really depend on for the baby's nourishment and it's not an inexpensive purchase. 

Alex Livingston:  You know, and that is so true. I didn't even think about that last part that you mentioned, but your data showed that Americans spent $4.3 billion in 2020, and 4.5% from that's up 4.5%. So how has the pandemic in particular played a role in the need for formula?

Joan Driggs: I think that it's not necessarily the pandemic, that's putting the need for formula, the need for formula is always going to be there, it makes me laugh like when we talked about the pandemic at the outside, people went off and bought bottled water and bottled water wasn't an issue, this is strictly just to keep people, you know, babies nourished and I think what happens and why there is maybe more purchase is because of the tighter supply.

If you're someone shopping for baby formula and you see that there are only a couple of cans of your 20 or 30-ounce baby formula that you really prefer, you're probably going to buy them if you can afford to because you're afraid that the next time you go to the store it won't be there and that's exacerbating the problem. 

Alex Livingston: Yeah. So, what do you think is the solution then to this issue I think a lot of it is it's out there like in some way shape, or form, it's probably out there? 

Joan Driggs: Every manufacturer wants to ensure that their customers are happy. Every retailer wants to ensure that their customers are happy. So, I think it really will be dependent on manufacturers making sure that they're getting their most preferred brands out there and then consumers understanding if the size that they prefer or the format that they prefer isn't available like one of the really growing categories, same formula but in ready to drink has been hit just as hard or even a little harder because it's so convenient. 

Alex Livingston:  So, if you have to mix your own, that's a solution, interesting. Okay, so we have about 30 seconds left so really quickly, what does your data predict about the demand for baby formula over the next year?

Joan Driggs: I think again across the board, things are going to level off as manufacturers get their full production up to speed as our supply chain keeps rolling and as retailers are able to stock those shelves, but for now people just have to be a little bit more patient shop around as best they can, and of course maybe try not to stockpile, which would help the whole thing level off.

Alex Livingston at Newsy first reported this story.

Three large new studies from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlight the importance of getting a booster shot to provide the best protection against the omicron coronavirus variant.

This is the first real-life data to examine the effect of boosters against omicron, which now accounts for more than 99% of coronavirus cases in the United States. The studies, released Friday, raise the question of whether people with just two vaccine doses should still be considered fully vaccinated.

"I think we have to redefine fully vaccinated as three doses," said Dr. William Schaffner, a longtime CDC vaccine adviser who was not involved with the studies.

The studies have an enormous scope, involving millions of cases, hundreds of thousands of visits to emergency departments and urgent care centers, and tens of thousands of hospitalizations among adults.

Getting boosted was 90% effective at preventing hospitalizations during a period in December and January when omicron was the dominant variant, according to a CDC study that looked at nearly 88,000 hospitalizations across 10 states.

In comparison, getting two shots was 57% effective when it had been at least six months past the second shot

Tracking the omicron surge

Getting boosted was 82% effective at preventing visits to emergency rooms and urgent care centers, according to the study, which looked at more than 200,000 visits in 10 states.

In comparison, getting two shots was only 38% effective at preventing those visits when it had been at least six months past the second shot.

"I think it's the third dose that really gives you the solid, the very best protection," Schaffner said.

That study was published Friday in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. A second study, also published in Friday's MMWR, concluded that people with three shots were less likely to get infected with omicron. Looking at data from 25 state and local health departments, the CDC researchers found that among those who were boosted, there were 149 cases per 100,000 people on average each week. For those who had only two doses, it was 255 cases per 100,000 people.

A third study, to be published in the medical journal JAMA, showed that having a booster helped prevent people from becoming ill with omicron. That study of just over 13,000 U.S. omicron cases found that the odds of developing a symptomatic infection were 66% lower for people who were boosted compared to those who had only received two shots.

All three studies found that unvaccinated people faced the highest risks of becoming sick with COVID-19.

The CDC currently says a person is considered fully vaccinated after they've received their primary COVID-19 vaccines — two weeks after receiving their second dose of an mRNA vaccine, or two weeks after their first dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Booster doses are recommended for everyone age 12 and older five months after their primary vaccination series.

Less than half of those eligible to receive booster shots have gotten one, and only about a quarter of the total U.S. population is fully vaccinated and boosted, according to CDC data.

Nearly 20% of the U.S. population eligible to be vaccinated — those age 5 and older — has not received any dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

As the omicron variant of the COVID-19 pandemic spreads across the country, finding the right mask to protect yourself has gotten harder within previous months. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its mask guidance to fight the spread appropriately, advising against cloth masks and surgical masks alone to protect against the virus.

As of press time, the CDC is advising the general public to upgrade to N95 and KN95 masks to protect against the omicron variant. These respirators filter out 95% of particles that are 0.3 microns or larger in diameter, Dr. Michael Schivo, a pulmonologist and an associate professor of internal medicine at UC Davis Health, previously told Men's Health.

Previously reported by Men's Health, the CDC is warning against several N95 respirators falsely claiming to be approved by NIOSH flooding the market, and therefore won't effectively protect you from COVID-19, especially the omicron variant, spread. NIOSH is the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in the U.S., providing the standards for protective N95 face masks across several occupations that require them.

KN95 masks are made abroad in China, thus adhering to Chinese standards. According to the CDC, as many as 60% of KN95 masks available could be fakes.

So how do you know which masks are legit, and even more so where to get one?

ISO/IEC 17025 lab tested

This is a standard recommended by the CDC to ensure the mask meets the protective standards of its country of origin. Check if the manufacturer is listed here.

Visible brand logo and GB2626-2019

The brand of mask should be visible somewhere on the mask itself. Additionally, GB2626-2019 is the mandatory standard for respiratory protection masks.

"GB2626 gives reassurance that manufacturer made mask [with] highest standard per Chinese guidelines," writes Dr. Stella in a comment. "If GB ends in 2006 it’s still legit if not [past the expiration date]."

Shouldn't say "NIOSH/FDA-approved"

To confirm that the KN95 you’re buying is legitimate, make sure the manufacturer is listed on the FDA's Emergency Use Authorization list. The CDC also has a list of NIOSH-approved manufacturers to ensure your mask is certified for your protection. Simply saying so on the box or mask is not approval.

Check the expiration date

Masks absolutely have expiration dates. If the mask you purchased is past its expiration date, you may not be protected.

Make sure the packaging is properly sealed

A banged up or partially opened box is an obvious sign of damage or tampering. Don't use a mask with damaged packaging for your own safety.

No quality control issues

Check if all the masks are identical and there aren't any mix-ups. If not, they're likely safe. to us.

Both vaccination and prior infection help protect against new COVID-19 infections, but vaccination protects against hospitalization significantly more than natural immunity from prior infection alone, according to a study published Wednesday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Researchers analyzed the risk of COVID-19 infection and hospitalization among four groups of individuals: vaccinated with and without prior infection and unvaccinated with and without prior infection. The study case data from about 1.1 million cases in California and New York between the end of May and mid-November 2021. Hospitalization data was available from California only.

Overall, COVID-19 case and hospitalization rates were highest among unvaccinated people who did not have a previous diagnosis.

At first, those with a prior infection had higher case rates than those who were vaccinated with no history of prior infection. As the delta variant became predominant in the U.S. in later months, this shifted and people who survived a previous infection had lower case rates than those who were vaccinated alone, according to the study.

Tracking the omicron surge

"Experts first looked at previous infections confirmed with laboratory test by the spring of 2021, when the alpha variant was predominant across the country. Before the delta variant, COVID-19 vaccination resulted in better protection against a subsequent infection than surviving a previous infection. When looking at the summer and the fall of 2021, when delta became dominant in this country, however, surviving a previous infection now provided greater protection against subsequent infection than vaccination," Dr. Benjamin Silk, lead for CDC's surveillance and analytics on the Epi-Task Force, said on a call with media Wednesday.

However, this shift coincides with a time of waning vaccine immunity in many people. The study did not factor the time from vaccination — and potential waning immunity — into the analysis. The study also does not capture the effect booster doses may have and was conducted before the emergence of the omicron variant.

Throughout the period of the study, risk of COVID-19 hospitalization was significantly higher among unvaccinated people with no previous COVID-19 diagnosis than any other group.

"Together, the totality of the evidence suggests really that both vaccination and having survived COVID each provide protection against subsequent reinfection, infection and hospitalization," said Dr. Eli Rosenberg, New York State Deputy Director for Science. "Having COVID the first time carries with it significant risks, and becoming vaccinated and staying up-to-date with boosters really is the only safe choice for preventing COVID infection and severe disease."

Experts also noted that characteristics of variants change, including how well they affect immunity from prior infections.

The CDC said in a statement it will publish additional data on COVID-19 vaccines and boosters against the dominant omicron variant later this week.

If you've dined out during the pandemic, you've probably noticed your local restaurants are operating with reduced or even dramatically reduced staffing. The Omicron variant is adding to an already existing staffing problem for the restaurant industry.

"We knew that it just was one more wave, one big variant, one bad winter away from disaster for a lot of restaurants, and that reality is quickly settling in at bars and restaurants throughout the country," said Caroline Styne, co-founder of the Independent Restaurant Coalition. 

With food prices going up, along with the cost of just about everything, fewer customers have also been dining in at restaurants around the country. All of those challenges add to the already huge problem with staffing shortages in the restaurant industry, and some of those businesses say they're on the brink of closing permanently. 

"It could be the end of January. It could be into March or April. But, it's not very long," said Bret Csencsitz, managing partner at Gotham Bar and Grill. 

Restaurant Business Magazine cites the research firm Placer.ai, that reports restaurant visits for the week of Dec. 20 were more than 10% lower than the same time in 2019. And the National Restaurant Association in November said 77% of restaurants reported not having enough employees.

Some of those lucky enough to have enough workers say they're now having to pay them even when they're closed because the demand for labor is so high. 

"I have no business, but please come work for us and we'll pay you. You know that's not normal logic and business," said Michael Dorf, CEO of City Winery.

Businesses say the whiplash of COVID-19 surges are driving them into the ground, as owners struggle to keep their doors open. Industry advocates say these current problems will have an economic ripple effect throughout the country. 

"The financial hit to the country is huge when you lose restaurants to the neighborhood, to the community, and to the job market in general," Styne said. 

This story was originally published by Meg Hilling and Bianca Facchinei of Newsy.

For millions of parents in the U.S., getting a COVID-19 vaccine for their kids is as simple as a few clicks, filling out some forms, and driving to a nearby clinic. But, for those in more rural parts of the country, access to vaccines can be a bit more of a struggle     

"We were so hopeful even back this summer when we first started hearing about, like, how soon it might be approved for children," said Annie Edwards, a mother in rural Montana.

She's hopeful because she knows what it's like to have a sick kid. Her daughter Hannah was born at 27 weeks, weighing one pound. But, for the 57 million people like Edwards who live in rural America, vaccine approval means nothing if they can't find a shot.  She drove to Billings, Montana, in December, which is a 500-mile round trip car ride to get her daughter the first dose.    

"Why are we having to drive this far? Why is it this hard?" asked Edwards.

An hour before the second appointment, the store canceled because it ran out of vaccine doses.   

"In rural areas, where people are spread out, there's much less opportunity for kids," said Dr. Jennifer Kates, senior vice president of the Kaiser Family Foundation. 

Edwards echoed her frustration saying, "You know, we live in the United States of America, where we have the most access," she said. "This shouldn't be difficult."    

Right now, Pfizer's vaccine is the only one approved for children. It's a smaller dose. Current minimum shipments come in a 10-vial pack, with 10 doses per vial. The company said that's to "better suit the needs of pediatric clinics." They can be stored for up to 10 weeks in refrigerators.

"Once you open the package, you have to use those within 12 hours. And if a provider wants to vaccinate one kid, they have to vaccinate 10 kids to not waste any, so that's a big challenge that we've seen with smaller providers and doctors' offices. They have to figure out, should I even do this," Kates said. 

Edwards' pediatrician told her she's not vaccinating kids against COVID-19. A Kaiser Family Foundation poll found more than one-third of rural parents said their health care providers are not even recommending the vaccine for kids.

"If a pediatrician isn't encouraging it, that could really be a deterrent for a parent," Kates said. "And it could be the situation where the pediatrician themselves doesn't have the vaccine."

Punching many rural zip codes into vaccines.gov will lead you to a page showing no pediatric shots within 25 miles, with some availability 50 to 100 miles away.      

"If you're a parent who's on the fence, you know, what's going to tip you if you then have to say, well, I'm going to drive 250 miles to do this thing that I'm a little bit wary of. Or even if you're an eager parent, if you don't have a car, if you can't take time off from work, what are you to do," said Kates.  

"There are some places that have put in operation mobile clinics to try to reach kids in those outposts. But, that's sort of the exception, not the rule. It's incredibly difficult. And, of course, when they're the only person who's asking for it in their community, they don't have support. And that makes it even more difficult," Kates said. 

It's a story pediatrician Kathy Rogers is familiar with. She came out of retirement to help administer vaccines.

"I can't sit this one out. This is too important," Rogers said. 

Some of the children at her clinic have traveled up to four hours round trip, twice.

"It breaks my heart and I would like to go door-to-door and just offer it to people, and if they don't want it, fine," said Rogers. 

"We have work that lies ahead for rural America, and in general for the country, but really in rural areas," Kates said.  

Montana data shows no kids between 5 and 11 in McCone County are fully vaccinated, with many other counties at 5% or less. Stats show similar rates in parts of rural Idaho, with numbers as low as 1% in places. And it's the same story in parts of Wyoming.    

"I don't understand how we're failing to get it dispersed in rural America," Edwards said. "Because that might be part of it. If I had access, if I could tell my neighbor, yeah, go down. You can get an appointment today, or you can get an appointment when you take your child to their well check or when you're getting their ears checked." 

Multiple doctors say removing barriers likely means an unwanted side effect, like waste.

"You can try as hard as you can not to waste vaccine. But if I can give one vaccine to one person, even if I have to waste the whole other dose, I'm going to do that. Because like with Omicron, the infectivity of it is just like measles. It's so high that I protected more people by doing one vaccine than doing none just because I want to save the vial," Rogers said. 

In addition to access, there's statistically more vaccine hesitancy in rural America, driving down demand. A Kaiser Family Foundation study found almost half of rural parents say they definitely will not get their 5- to 11-year-old vaccinated, compared to 22% of urban parents. But, if interest is low, Rogers said counties can and should work together to share doses, to reach as many as possible as Omicron keeps its grip on the country.     

"If you don't get out there and do this for people, what does that say? We've got to take care of each other. And I take care of my family, but my community is my family. It's too important to know those health care workers all feel that way. And that's why some of them are quitting because they feel this so intimately," Rogers said.   

Kates said some states, like Maine and Vermont, have gotten the vaccination effort right from the start, and there's more that can be done elsewhere.    

"From a broader perspective, states and certainly the federal government, can look at how they can pre-position vaccines for remote areas. So, finding the right pharmacy sites, doing mobile clinics to go to people, setting up actual vaccine clinics periodically, where you're really advertising and pushing out that information to communities, it still means that not everyone's going to be easily reached, but you have to make those opportunities more frequent, and visible and easy for parents," Kates said. 

Edwards hopes to get her daughter's second vaccine dose at a neighboring county's clinic soon.  

"It's a drive, it's not close," she said. It will mean about 200 miles round trip for her, and she along with others don't think it should be this hard.

This story was originally published by Maritsa Georgiou on Newsy.

The omicron surge is pushing hospitals to capacity as they struggle to keep up with the highest number of COVID-19 patients on record.

“We’re certainly at our highest water mark to date,” St. Elizabeth Dr. Jim Horn said.

St. Elizabeth surpassed their highest number of COVID-19 patients set last year at 219. The new number set this week is 232.

“It just means that everyone is extremely busy, and everyone is stretched to the max,” Horn said.

Every facet of hospital operations is affected from pharmacy to supply chain to the thin ranks of the staff.

“They’re tired, they’re demoralized, they’re emotionally stretched,” Horn said.

There are so many health care workers out sick, even those who are not normally on the front lines are called into action to help.

“Every, every hospital from our rural hospitals to our urban core hospitals are hit by this,” the Health Collaborative’s Tiffany Mattingly said.

Mattingly said almost every hospital in the region is hitting historic high number of COVID-19 patients.

“Definitely as bad as we’ve seen since the start of the pandemic. They’re operating at a whole new level of surge right now,” Mattingly said.

More and more Cincinnati area schools and school districts are going back to remote learning amid a COVID-19 surge, fueled by the omicron and delta variants.

Staffing shortages are a primary factor for most schools.

"We are seeing increases in staff absences. We're committed to not making decisions too quickly on that, but on watching on a school-by-school basis making decisions individually," said newly-elected Cincinnati Public Schools Board President Bent Lindy.

Below is a working list of schools and school districts returning to remote learning, and dates when they plan to return to in-person learning. The below list is in alphabetical order.

Did we miss a school? Email us with the details at web@wlwt.com.

CINCINNATI PUBLIC SCHOOLS: All district schools will move to remove until Jan. 24 due to staffing shortages. Students will return to school on Jan. 24 if staffing is sufficient, according to the CPS Board of Education.

COVINGTON INDEPENDENT PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Covington Independent Public Schools will be closed all schools for the rest of the week last week due to the high number of staff members who have COVID-19. The school district was planning to return to class on Monday, Jan. 10, however, the district decided to remain closed to in-person instruction for a second week. Students will do remote learning Tuesday through Friday. They will be off on Jan. 17 for the MLK holiday and are expected to return to school on Jan. 18

FOREST HILLS SCHOOLS: Forest Hills Local School District will do a day of remote learning Tuesday, Jan. 18, due to staff shortages and COVID-19 cases. That's the day after the scheduled four-day break for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

GALLATIN COUNTY SCHOOLS: Gallatin County Schools in Northern Kentucky will be closing the rest of the week due to the number of staff members absent related to COVID-19 and other illnesses. The days off this week will not be NTI days. The school district hopes to return on Jan. 18.

HAMILTON CITY SCHOOLS: Officials with Hamilton City Schools announced Tuesday that they will close for the remainder of the week due to staffing shortages. In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, school officials said that 170 staff members were out, forcing the district to cancel classes -- starting Wednesday. "Hamilton City Schools and other local businesses and school districts have been negatively impacted by staff illness," a statement from the district reads in part. "Staff illness has reached a critical level where staffing classrooms is no longer possible. Due to this challenge, Hamilton City Schools will be closed for students, and no remote learning will be required on the following dates."

KINGS LOCAL SCHOOLS: Kings Local Schools will be closed Friday, Jan. 14 due to an increased number of absences for both students and staff. All schools will reopen on Jan. 18.

LAKOTA SCHOOLS: Due to the high number of staff absences and lack of substitutes affecting all our buildings, all Lakota Local Schools will be closed Friday, Jan. 14. This includes our virtual learning option. Classes will resume on Jan. 18. following Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

LEBANON CITY SCHOOLS: High school will move to remote learning beginning Jan. 13 through Jan. 21. Masks will be required for the entire district beginning Jan. 12.

LITTLE MIAMI SCHOOLS: All Little Miami school buildings will be closed for the rest of the week, Wednesday through Friday, due to staff shortages with Little Miami Transportation. No remote learning will take place. Extracurricular activities and athletics will continue as scheduled. Classes will resume on Tuesday.

LOCKLAND LOCAL SCHOOLS: Lockland Local Schools will remain on a remote learning model due to a high number of staff members that are either ill, in quarantine or awaiting test results at this time. Schools will resume in person learning on Jan. 18.