Arcturus, the XBB.1.16 subvariant of the omicron variant family, has recently increased in frequency in the US.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that last week’s total accounted for nearly 10% of all cases. Almost all cases last week were of the XBB.1.5 subvariant, making it the most common.
What Makes Arcturus Unique Among Other Coronavirus Types?
Doctors who specialize in infectious diseases have found that a mutation in the spike protein renders this strain extremely contagious without increasing the severity of the disease.
Infectious illness expert Dr. William Schaffner from Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, has stated that existing vaccinations and coronavirus treatments that work against omicron appear to perform well against XBB.1.16.
There are at least two ways in which Arcturus is distinct from preceding strains.
As they have been throughout the pandemic, the most common symptoms of COVID remain a sore throat, a net loss of taste or smell, difficulty breathing, and congestion.
According to studies from India, however, the XBB.1.16 variation also appears to be connected with conjunctivitis (commonly known as “pink eye”), especially in children, as an infectious disease specialist and infection control officer for AdventHealth, Vincent Hsu, MD, told Verywell.
Read more: New hope for ALS patients: FDA approves Biogen’s drug for rare form of the disease
Pink Eye Treatments
Doctors prescribe treatments based on the infection.
- Bacterial pink eye is treated with antibiotic eyedrops.
- Eye drops can alleviate allergy-related eyelid irritation and edema.
- A cool washcloth or fake tears may relieve viral disease symptoms. Benner said viral illness symptoms last seven to ten days.
Pink eye prevention:
- Avoid touching your eyes.
- Handwash with soap and water.
- Don’t share your personal items such as eye makeup.
Read more: The effective strategies to avoid paying Capital-gains tax