Explained: The new Covid-19 variant, Arcturus FMTNews
According to experts, the Arcturus’ symptoms include high fever, cough and ‘itchy’ conjunctivitis or pinkeye.
While health minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said patients exhibited mild symptoms and were in stable condition, the latest Omicron subvariant is believed to be driving the surge in infections in countries like India.XBB.1.16, otherwise known as Arcturus, is a subvariant of the Omicron variant XBB and was first detected globally in January.
Citing an epidemiological study by Japan, Universiti Sains Malaysia virologist Kumitaa Theva Das said Arcturus is 1.2 times more transmissible than XBB.1.5, which was reported to transmit faster than other variants such as Delta and other Omicron sub-variants. “This is because immunity wanes faster in these individuals, and getting a booster would increase protection against severity. The bivalent booster shots, designed to protect against Omicron variants including XBB, have been proven to provide long-lasting protection,” she said.Public health medicine specialist Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar said the vaccines still work and provide protection against the virus.
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