A new COVID-19 variant dubbed Arcturus, which is driving a surge of fresh cases in India, has some unique symptoms in children, experts have pointed out.
The XBB.1.16 strain, a sub-variant of Omicron, has been found in 22 countries, including Singapore, Australia, the UK and the US.
It is believed to be responsible for an increase in infections in India, leading to the government adopting new measures to stop its spread, including bringing back mask laws and running hospital drills.
India recorded 11,109 new cases 3 days ago, the country’s health ministry said, a sharp jump from 7,830 new COVID cases reported in the previous 24 hours. The numbers reported are the highest in eight months with the active caseload surging to 49,622.
The spread of the strain, first detected in late January, is a concern, as it seems to exhibit unique symptoms in children, one of which is conjunctivitis.
Around 50 cases have been detected in the UK so far, but Professor Paul Hunter of the University of East said it was too soon to say that Britain could face a fresh surge in infections driven by Arcturus.
