It is the new variant of Arcturus known as XBB.1.16 which has become more viral in the world and could cause a new and unknown symptom among those who are infected.
Despite the fact that the effects of the pandemic are subsiding and many are even calling for an end to the health crisis, a new variant breaks into society causing concern among doctors and specialists.
This is XBB.1.16, renamed Arcturus, a new variant of Covid-19 which was first detected in January 2023. Two months later, on March 22, The OMS He considered it a “monitored variant” because of the increase in infections it causes.
This subvariant of Omicron has been reported in more than two dozen countries and has caused an increase in cases in India, among other countries.. In the United States, it is already responsible for about 9.6% of current cases. according Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of this country, although this number is probably higher, because most patients with Covid-19 never know which strain of Sars they have been infected with.
Arcturus appears to be more contagious than previous strains. and recently there has been a noticeable trend in India around a possible new eye health symptom that some attribute to SARS-CoV-2 infections.
Indian authorities have said that the virus has caused symptoms very similar to those of the common cold, but there is potentially a new one: conjunctivitis . Most concerning is that this symptom has been more common in children and young adults, although it has also affected adults, according to health authorities in this country.
Conjunctivitis is characterized by red, itchy, and painful eyes and can be caused by viral infections. Previously, only 1% to 3% of Covid-19 cases reported this symptom.
That is why he Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) the variant is thought to cause conjunctivitis (also known as “pink eye”) and authorities are advising the public to take standard COVID-19 precautions to slow its spread.
The CDC in the United States has yet to officially link conjunctivitis or any other eye-related health condition to Covid and list it as an official symptom. However, despite only three confirmed cases in Los Angeles County, they already predict that up to 8% of Covid-19 cases in California and 10% of cases nationwide are due to XBB.1.16.
Additionally, more and more physicians in the United States are recognizing the prevalence of conjunctivitis and associated discharge, itching in the form of anecdotal evidence, including testimony from Matthew Binnicker, MD, director of the Mayo Clinic Clinical Virology Laboratory who said that many clinics and doctors are seeing an increase in red eyes and itching in children affected by SARS infections.
Still, some doctors remain skeptical of the new symptom. Dr. Allison Arwady, Commissioner of Chicago Department of Public Health he said in a note NBC Chicago What there is still some uncertainty as to whether the variant is the source of the symptom.
“We see a lot of red, itchy eyes at this time of year,” referring to reported cases in the United States, which is currently in the spring, and therefore peak allergy season. But similar symptoms have been reported in Indian patients with the virus, so the data suggests the variant is to blame.
Arcturus shares the same symptoms of fever, cough, and shortness of breath, and appears to be no more dangerous than existing variants. Omicron’s variant vaccines are expected to provide protection against the new subvariant. always recommended follow personal care protocols to avoid contagion of the variant, which seems to be more contagious than the previous ones.
Source: Latercera
I am Robert Harris and I specialize in news media. My experience has been focused on sports journalism, particularly within the Rugby sector. I have written for various news websites in the past and currently work as an author for Athletistic, covering all things related to Rugby news.
