Arcturus: New Covid strain is spreading quickly and has different symptoms for children

The new Covid variant Arcturus is causing a new symptom of concern in children. Here’s what you need to know.

A new strain of Covid is causing different symptoms in children, including a potentially painful eye condition.

Dubbed Arcturus, the Omicron sub-variant XBB 1.16 strain has rapidly spread throughout India, with case numbers rising sharply.

Research indicates Arcturus could be 1.2 times more infectious than the last major sub-variant.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared Arcturus a variant of concern.

It has been detected in 29 countries including Australia, the United States, the UK and Singapore as well as India – where some states have ordered people to again wear masks amid case numbers surging to their highest levels in eight months.

Here’s what you need to know about Arcturus.

Covid cases have surged in India, rising to more than 40,000 active cases. Picture: iStock

WHAT IS ARCTURUS?

First detected in late January, the new strain is being monitored by WHO, with the organisation noting some areas of concern.

WHO’s Covid technical lead Dr Maria Van Kerkhove said Arcturus had an extra mutation in the spike protein, which showed increased infectivity and potential increased pathogenicity.

The main symptoms of XBB.1.16 in adults resembled the flu, including a nasal discharge, sore throat and cough.

The Arcturus XBB.1.16 variant is a recombinant of two sub-variants of BA.2. It is one of 600 sub-variants from Omicron.

WHAT’S DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS STRAIN?

While there has been no reported change in the severity of disease among those infected by the Arcturus variant, the new strain may be the most “transmissible variant yet”, according to Dr Van Kerkhove.

The additional mutations create the potential for the strain to infect more easily and potentially cause more severe disease, she said.

There may also be an increased risk to children.

Conjunctivitis is increasing in children with the new Covid variant.

Indian paediatrician, Dr Vipin Vashishtha, tweeted that paediatric cases were on the rise for the first time in six months, and that “an infantile phenotype seems emerging.”

In addition to high fever and coughs, which are common symptoms of Covid, Dr Vashishtha has also seen eye infection conjunctivitis among children presenting with the virus.

Conjunctivitis causes redness, itchiness and swelling in the eyes and has only rarely been seen before as a symptom of Covid in children until now.

Vaccines are the best way to protect yourself from all strains of Covid. Picture: Supplied

WHAT COUNTRIES HAS IT IMPACTED?

According to WHO, while Arcturus has been detected in other countries, most are from India where the new strain has now overtaken other variants.

Levels are reportedly rising in Australia, America, and Singapore, among others, although they remain low.

Experts say the strain is robustly resistant to antibodies from a variety of Covid variants. This combined with its rapid transmissibility suggests it may spread worldwide in the near future.

By late February, the Arcturus strain accounted for 0.21 per cent of cases around the world. A month later, this had risen to 3.96 per cent, according to WHO figures.

Experts say the new strain is more transmissible than previous variants. Picture: iStock

HOW MANY CASES DETECTED IN AUSTRALIA?

As of April 11, there have been 140 cases of Arcturus detected in Australia.

“In Australia, a targeted sequencing strategy is undertaken to achieve the most public health and clinical benefit. Therefore, not all cases are sequenced and these numbers are an underestimate of the true number of XBB.1.16 cases in Australia,” a Department of Health spokesman said.

WHAT VACCINES WORK AGAINST IT?

Experts advise people to continue to access all available vaccines, noting there’s no evidence to suggest Arcturus had the power to bypass protection from vaccines or antibodies from prior infections, compared to Kraken – the dominant strain in the UK at the end of February.

However, scientists at the University of Tokyo comparing the Kraken and Arcturus sub-variants have suggested that the newer strain spreads about 1.17 to 1.27 times more efficiently, reported The Independent.

They warned it “will spread worldwide in the near future” because it seems “robustly resistant” to antibodies lingering in the body from previous Covid infections.

DOES ARCTURUS INCREASE RISK OF LONG COVID?

It’s too early to say, but Omicron variants tend to cause less cases of long Covid, especially in vaccinated populations, and experts believe repeat infections of Covid are less likely to cause long Covid.