BACK TO YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANKS, BILL. COVID 19 ISN’T GOING AWAY ANY TIME SOON. AND TODAY, OMAHA DOCTORS WARN OF A NEW VARIANT. THAT’S THE MOST CONTAGIOUS STRAIN YET. THIS COMES AS THE FDA CONSIDERS MAKING BOOSTER VACCINES AN ANNUAL OPTION LIKE THE FLU SHOT. KETV. NEWSWATCH. SEVERNS. JOSH KRISTIANTO JOINS US LIVE WITH WHAT EXPERTS SAY CONCERNS THEM. JOSH WELL, THE GOOD NEWS IS INFECTIONS IN NEBRASKA ARE STEADY. JUST A 10% POSITIVITY RATE. BUT BECAUSE COVID 19 VARIANTS WON’T STOP COMING ANY TIME SOON, HEALTH EXPERTS HERE AGREE AN ANNUAL BOOSTER SHOT MAY BE THE WAY TO GO. YET ANOTHER COVID 19 VARIANT MAKING ITS WAY THROUGH A COMMUNITY NEAR YOU. XB 1.5 IS A VERY INT OF THE OMICRON VARIANT, AND IT’S NOW THE MOST DOMINANT STRAIN IN AMERICA. THEY’RE ABLE TO CAUSE, YOU KNOW, FASTER INFECTIONS STICK ON TO OUR LUNGS, CELLS OURSELVES IN OUR NASAL PASSAGE WAY. SO, YES, THERE CONTINUE TO MUTATE AND BE MORE INFECTIOUS. THESE CONSTANT VIRAL MUTATIONS ARE WHY THE FDA IS NOW CONSIDERING A NEW COVID 19 VACCINE STRATEGY. A SINGLE ANNUAL SHOT JUST LIKE FOR FLU. HEALTH LEADERS HOPE THIS APPROACH WOULD MAKE MESSAGING EASIER AND PERHAPS INCREASE VACCINATION RATES. I THINK THE STRATEGY AOUT HAVING ANNUALLY MIGHT ACTUALLY INCREASE THE LEVEL OF VACCINATION BECAUSE EVERYBODY’S USED TO GETTING ANNUAL FLU SHOTS AND THIS MIGHT ACTUALLY HELP EVERYONE GET ANNUAL COVID 19 BOOSTER AS WELL. CURRENT BOOSTERS HAVE TARGETED OLDER VARIANTS, INCLUDING OMICRON. SO VARIANTS B FOUR AND B FIVE. IF YOU ARE VACCINATED, YOU’RE STILL PROTECTED FROM SEVERE ILLNESS AGAINST THIS NEW STRAIN. BUT DOCTORS SAY YOU SHOULDN’T BE AFRAID TO GET ANNUAL BOOSTERS IF THEY ARRIVE. MYSELF. I HAVE GOTTEN ALL THE VACCINES AND BEEN OKAY. NO MAJOR ISSUES. SO I JUST THINK WE JUST HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE GIVE THE RIGHT DATA AND LET PEOPLE KNOW IT’S SAFE AND EFFECTIVE TO GET THE VACCINE. OVERALL POSITIVE CASES IN HOSPITALS ARE REMAINING STEADY IN NEBRASKA. NEW ANTIVIRAL MEDS ARE ALSO KEEPING INFECTIONS FROM GETTING WORSE. AND THE FDA ADVISORY PANEL IS EXPECTED TO MEET ON THURSDAY TO DISCUSS THOSE ANNUAL COVID BOOSTERS FOR ALL AMERICANS. IT’S JUST ANOTHER SIGN THAT THE PANDEMIC MAY CARRY ON WELL INTO OUR FUTURE. REPORTIN