University of Missouri

The first U.S. omicron case was identified 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.

Colleges are rolling out a dizzying diversity of COVID-19 containment plans for students and staff. Some have no plans for routine testing, while others aim to test everyone on campus twice a week.

On a sunny afternoon in Sedalia, Mo., a town between St. Louis and Kansas City, Jennifer and Matt Boatright escorted some unusual visitors into a pasture…