About 1 in 10 cases of COVID-19 nationwide is caused by an emerging coronavirus strain, XBB.1.16.
The World Health Organization has elevated this strain of omicron to one of two “circulating variants of interest.” The variant, which has been called Arcturus, is responsible for a growing share of coronavirus cases in the United States.
As of April 22, it caused 9.6% of COVID-19 infections nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Arcturus was first reported in January and has spread rapidly in other nations such as India and Indonesia.
But Arcturus differs from earlier strains in at least two ways.
“It tends to produce more fever than some of the other strains we’ve seen,” Schaffner said. “But the most distinctive feature is that it seems to have a tendency to produce conjunctivitis, particularly in children.”
Read more at USAtoday.com
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