WHO elevates Arcturus to 'variant of interest' amidst global concern.
TL;DR
The World Health Organization has designated the new COVID-19 strain XBB.1.16, also known as "Arcturus," as a "variant of interest." The strain is a sublineage of Omicron and is currently surging in India, where it is the dominant strain. Despite its tendency to evade immunity, the variant's overall risk is low since it doesn't seem to be causing more severe symptoms. WHO recommends that countries collaborate to share information about Arcturus and conduct tests to see how well their population's immunity can defend against it.
- World Health Org Elevates New COVID Strain to 'Variant of Interest' The Daily Beast
- WHO watching XBB.1.16, dubbed Arcturus on social media, as a coronavirus variant of interest CNN
- What is Arcturus? New COVID 'variant of interest' may 'spread globally': experts New York Post
- There's a New Symptom the ‘Arcturus' COVID Variant May be Causing NBC Chicago
- Coronavirus: Everything You Need To Know About The New Covid Variant Arcturus NDTV
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