Did you Know XBB.1.16 is Now 'Arcturus'? Unlike Other Covid Variants, it Causes Conjunctivitis, is 1.2x Infectious

Covid-19 cases continuously rising in India for the past few weeks, and the new Covid variant Arcturus, or XBB.1.16 as it is clinically referred to, is responsible for the spike, according to World Health Organisation (WHO).  As per the global health body, the strain has been found in coronavirus cases across at least 22 countries, including Singapore, Australia, the UK and the US.

XBB.1.16, or the Arcturus variant, that was first detected in January, could be 1.2 times more infectious than other Omicron variants, a report by Hindustan Times said quoting a study by the University of Tokyo published on the biology research website bioRxiv.

However, the latest Covid surge is not alarming as the lethality of the virus has been reduced significantly, a top health ministry source said. The official explained that India’s apex medical research agency, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), has isolated the XBB.1.16 omicron subvariant and assessed the vaccine efficiency.

“The XBB subvariant of Covid has been isolated, assessment of vaccine efficiency has been done. This variant is not fatal,” said the official.

Origin of Arcturus

XBB.1.16 was first detected in SARS-CoV-2 sequences from India, a recombinant lineage of Covid, XBB.1.16 is a descendent of the XBB lineage. The preliminary data on the virus suggest that XBB.1.16 has a higher growth advantage over other SARS-CoV-2 lineages that are currently circulating including the XBB.1.5 lineage.

ALSO READ: Covid-19 Scare: All About XBB.1.16 Variant, Its Symptoms & If Booster Dose is Needed | Explained

Symptoms of Arcturus of Covid-19

The main symptoms of the Arcturus variant of Covid-19 include shortness of breath, cough and conjunctivitis and sticky eyes in some cases, according to the HT report.

Other signs and symptoms of the variant are very similar to that of the Omicron variant, which includes a high-grade fever for over 48 hours, cough, sore throat, body pain, severe headache, cold and abdominal discomfort.

At Risk Population

As per experts, the population that is at most risk of the new variant include the elderly population, children and people with co-morbidities such as cardiac conditions, previous pulmonary issues, and diabetes among other ailments.

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