As students come back from the holiday break, some school districts around the metro are now talking about bringing back face masks or making changes to COVID protocols thanks to a surge in omicron cases. Before the winter break, some districts were seeing the highest number of COVID cases since the pandemic began, worrying parents and students! We have two education experts with us today to talk about that.

A expectant mother and her husband from Wichita talk about their bouts with COVID-19. While the husband had only a mild case, hers was far more serious. Prior to being sick, the couple had no plans to become vaccinated. They'll talk about virus' nearly devastating impact on them and if this experience helped change their mind about COVID-19 and the vaccine.

Kansas City area chief medical officers convene to discuss the potential surge in COVID19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths.

Meet some Pleasant Hill Students whose teacher gave them a special assignment related to the pandemic. These students have their eyes on careers in medical professions, and their insight and stories are truly remarkable.

Add zoo animals to the list of those eligible for the COVID vaccine. They too are contracting COVID, and the virus has been detected in wildlife like white-tailed deer. How does this affect hunters and those who eat the meat of an infected animal? We’re bringing our zoo and animal experts back to answer those questions and more.

Dr. Joseph McGuirk, Cellular Therapeutics and Medical Director, Blood and Marrow Transplant, The University of Kansas Health System, joins. We'll be live inside the new space built to accommodate blood and marrow transplant patients and their families. The health system pushed to finish this expansion and it couldn’t have come at a better time. COVID cases are on the rise and bed space a concern already in many areas in the region.

On tomorrow's Morning Medical Update: COVID-19 cases are once again on the rise in the Kansas City metro. The current trend shows we are heading back into numbers we haven't seen since August. Dr. Amber Schmidtke, chair of the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at University of St. Mary, joins Dr. Dana Hawkinson, our medical director of infection prevention and control, as he responds to the backlog of this week's community questions.

Fentanyl is now the leading cause of drug overdoses, killing many and ruining even more lives. But there is a new treatment that's helping those trying to get off of it and stay alive and live well. We will hear one man's story about how it worked for him and how he's doing today. Plus, what is being done to stop this growing epidemic.

On today’s Morning Medical Update, both COVID and flu cases are on the rise all across the metro. Joining Dr. Steve Stites and Dr. Dana Hawkinson for status reports were chief medical officers from several area hospitals. They include Dr. Lisa Hays from Advent Health Shawnee Mission, Dr. Mark Steele from University Health Truman Medical Center, Dr. Raghu Adiga from Liberty Hospital and Dr. Davin Turner from Mosaic Medical Center in St. Joseph, Missouri.

COVID continues to take a toll on our waistlines and mental health. Joining us from our Sports Medicine and Performance Center are Roger Allen III, CSCS, former NFL player and current strength and athletic development supervisor, and Kelsey Ngeh, fitness and corrective exercise supervisor. Dr. Danielle Johnson, a psychologist at The University of Kansas Health System, discussed simple ways to help take care of your family’s mental health.