Although the COVID-19 pandemic has eased, the potential threat from new variants remains as a new variant called Arcturus detected in Malaysia.
The Omicron sub-variant mutation, named Arcturus, was first discovered in India in January of this year and has since spread to at least 22 countries, including the UK, the US, and Singapore.
According to data from Rajeev Venkayya, the Assistant Dean of Research and a Professor at the New York Institute of Technology, the new variant Arcturus (XBB.1.16) has entered Malaysia.
Arcturus is more likely to cause conjunctivitis in children under 12. Experts say that the current vaccines are still effective against the new variant, so panic is unnecessary.
Reports suggest that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in India has recently increased significantly.
On the 12th of this month, there were over 40,000 confirmed cases nationwide, an increase of 3,122 cases in one day, a record increase in recent times, and even a 13-fold increase in the past month.
The Omicron sub-variant mutation Arcturus (XBB.1.16) is considered to be the leading cause of this.
In addition to the increase in confirmed cases, Arcturus is also said to be more likely to infect children under 12. It can cause conjunctivitis, less common before, resulting in eye scars and discharge.
In response to the pandemic, some areas of India have reintroduced the previously abolished mask mandate; in the southern state of Kerala, the elderly, pregnant women, and long-term patients in high-risk groups are required to wear masks again.
According to reports, the Omicron sub-variant mutation, known as Arcturus, was first discovered in India in January of this year and has since appeared in at least 22 countries, including Singapore, Australia, the UK, and the US.
Vipin M. Vashishtha, the former president of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics, pointed out that conjunctivitis caused by Arcturus in children was rare in the past, while the symptoms in adults after infection remained the same as coughing, sore throat, or runny nose.
Maria Van Kerkhove, an epidemiologist with the World Health Organization, pointed out that the Arcturus mutation has an additional mutation in the spike protein, and laboratory studies have shown that this mutation increases the infectivity and potential pathogenicity of the virus.
However, there is no evidence that this mutation increases the risk of severe or even fatal disease, nor has there been any evidence of immune escape that would render vaccines ineffective.
Iwan Ariawan, an epidemiologist at the School of Public Health at the University of Indonesia, urged the public not to panic over the appearance of Arcturus.
Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease expert at the University of Toronto, also pointed out that hospitalizations may increase in the short term due to the appearance of Arcturus.
Fortunately, he predicts that a situation similar to the previous pandemic will not happen, and current vaccines are believed to be effective against Omicron mutations, including Arcturus.
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