The Arcturus or XBB.1.16 mutation is mainly present in India and is thought to be responsible for eye symptoms.
- A new Covid-19 subvariant has been detected: XBB.1.16 or Arcturus.
- In India, where it replaced the previous subvariant, a pediatrician noticed that it caused conjunctivitis in children.
- The sub-variant would also be more infectious.
For three years, the virus at the origin of the Covid-19 pandemic has continued to mutate. Lately theWorld Health Organization (WHO) alerted to a new sub-variant of SARS-CoV-2: XBB.1.16 or Arcturus. In India, this mutation worries the authorities, because the number of cases is increasing.
Covid-19: the Arcturus variant detected since January in India
According to the Daily Emailthe first cases of contamination by this new sub-variant were detected last January in India. In France, less than ten cases have been identified. In a statement made in early April, the Dr Maria Van Kerkhove of the WHO, explains that 800 cases from 22 countries have been identified. “Most of them come from India where the XBB.1.16 replaced the other variants in circulation”, she specifies. In recent weeks, the country has reportedly recorded an increase in cases linked to this virus, without this leading to an increase in hospitalizations. Some states in the country have decided to put in place preventive measures: the mask has again become compulsory in public places in certain regions, as explained by the BBC.
Arcturus: is this sub-variant of Omicron more dangerous?
On March 22, the WHO added this subvariant to the list of “variants under monitoring”, i.e. the variants under surveillance. “XBB.1.16 is a recombinant of BA.2.10.1 and BA.2.75 and has three additional mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (E180V, F486P and K478R) compared to its parent line XBB”specifies the organization in a communicated. According to one study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, i.e. not submitted to the opinion of other scientists, this subvariant could be more infectious. But it wouldn’t be more deadly.
Variant Arcturus: what is the new symptom of the coronavirus?
For now, these symptoms are similar to those of the previous variants: a cold, fever or cough. But on Twitter, an Indian pediatrician, Vipin Vashishtha, announced that he had noticed that the Arcturus subvariant could also be responsible for eye symptoms. In children infected with the virus, he found cases of non-purulent conjunctivitis, with sticky and itchy eyes, “not spotted in previous waves”. The virus was particularly virulent in this Asian country. In 2021, it had killed more than 100,000 people in just one month.
XBB.1.16 #Arcturus
For the last 2 days, have started getting pediatric Covid cases once again after a gap of 6 mo! An infantile phenotype seems emerging—treated infants w/ high fever, cold & cough, & non-purulent, itchy conjunctivitis w/ sticky eyes, not seen in earlier waves pic.twitter.com/UTVgrCCLWU
— Vipin M. Vashishtha (@vipintukur) April 6, 2023
