SINT MAARTEN (PHILIPSBURG) – The new COVID-19 subvariant ‘Arcturas’ is spreading around the world quickly as countries report new cases. ‘Arcturas’ is part of the Omicron family. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the new subvariant is the second most prominent strain circulating in the United States of America.
It was first detected four months ago by Indian health authorities – January. The World Health Organization (WHO) says XBB.1.16 ‘Arcturas’ has been classified as a ‘variant of interest.’ The new strain has been discovered in 24 countries so far.
The first death from ‘Arcturas’ has already been reported in Thailand last month where an elderly man became the victim health authorities reported. The deceased had underlying health conditions. The public in Thailand have been advised to continue to practice COVID-19 prevention measures.
It is thought that this new subvariant of Omicron is around 1.2 times more infectious than the last major subvariant known as XBB.1.15.
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