Omicron Variant

The number of known coronavirus cases in the U.S. surpassed 50 million this week and the country hit the grim milestone of 800,000 deaths on Tuesday. Today on Wellness Wednesday we discuss the latest on COVID and the omicron variant.

COVID hospitalizations are the highest they’ve been since January before vaccines were widely available. Health officials say while the Omicron variant has not been detected yet in Ohio, it's a matter of when, not if, but initial research shows considerable protection from the vaccine series.

As the medical community scrambles to learn more about the omicron variant, two new COVID-19 pills show promise in working against all versions of the virus. We discuss the latest on COVID and more on Wellness Wednesday.

The first U.S. omicron case was identified last Wednesday – about a week after its discovery in South Africa. While there are concerns about the variant’s transmissibility, the number of mutations it possesses make it easier to detect than other strains.

There's serious concern about the effectiveness of vaccines against the omicron strain. But there's also reason to be hopeful — especially for those who've had a booster.

The individual returned from South Africa on Nov. 22 and had mild symptoms. Cases have been found in more than 20 countries, less than a week after the worrying new variant was first identified.

"This wave seems much faster than the delta wave. And we thought the delta wave was really fast. It's unbelievable," says Juliet Pulliam, the scientist who presented the new analysis at a conference.

Gov. Mike DeWine said on Monday that he is waiting for additional information about the omicron variant of the coronavirus. DeWine said early indications are that this new variant is very contagious, but he has seen no indication that vaccines don’t work.

Public health experts warn that the rush to impose travel bans on southern African countries after the omicron variant was identified can work against scientific transparency.

The World Health Organization deemed it a variant of concern, and the U.S. is banning travel from parts of Africa where it's spreading. Here's what scientists know and what they're trying to learn.