New Covid variant Arcturus causes alarming ‘new symptom in kids’, experts warn

A NEW Covid strain ravaging India – which has been detected in the UK – is causing a concerning symptom in kids, experts warn. “Arcturus” is an Omicron off-shoot and is thought to be more infectious than the ‘Kraken‘ strain of the bug. Kids in India – where the Arcturus variant reigns supreme – have complained of itchy and sticky eyes The new XBB.1.16 variant recently forced India to reintroduce face mask rules and has cropped up in the UK, the UK Health Security Agency confirmed. However, there are currently less than 100 cases in the country and ore severe illness hasn’t been found in people infected with the new variant. It’s been detected in 20 additional countries, including the US. Omicron typically causes a collection of cold or flu-like symptoms, such as: runny noseheadachefatigue (mild or severe)sneezingsore throat But Dr Vipin Vashishtha – a paediatrician and former head of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Immunisation – said the spread of Arcturus in India was bringing with it a new symptom that hadn’t been present in earlier waves. He said symptoms affecting the eyes were seeing a sudden surge in children. The doctor said he was treating increasing numbers of infants with fever, cough and cold symptoms, and conjunctivitis causing ‘itchy’ and ‘sticky’ eyes. “An infantile phenotype seems emerging,” he observed. Richard Reithinger, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the nonprofit research institute RTI International, based in the US, also told US magazine Fortune that he had heard such reports. But it’s ‘probably too early to tell’ if the virus’s symptom set has truly shifted, he noted. As of April 13, India’s Ministry of Health recorded 44,998 active Covid-19 cases – 4,783 more than the previous day. But Professor Paul Hunter, a infectious diseases expert based at the University of East Anglia, told the Mail he didn’t think the new variant would hit the UK particularly hard. “I suspect we will see a wave of infections with this variant,” he said “I doubt it will cause a big wave, probably not even as great as the one we have just had in the UK.” Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Covid technical lead, said the health body had first identified the Arcturus variant in January. “It’s been in circulation for a few months. “We haven’t seen a change in severity in individuals or in populations, but that’s why we have these systems in place. “It has one additional mutation in the spike protein which in lab studies shows increased infectivity as well as potential increased pathogenicity.” Dr Van Kerkhove added that while XBB.1.16 had been detected in other countries most sequences were from India where it had replaced other variants. The UK this month kicked off its spring booster campaign, calling forward vulnerable adults for another Covid vaccine. Babies and toddlers with serious health conditions will also be eligible for a jab for the first time, come June. More than nine in 10 catch the virus at least once before their fifth birthday. Healthy children have such a low risk of severe disease that they will not be eligible for a vaccine because it would not benefit them. What is conjuctivitis? Conjunctivitis is an eye condition caused by infection or allergies It’s also known as ‘red’ or ‘pink eye’. It’ll usually affect both eyes, causing: redness a burning or gritty feeling pus that sticks to lashes itchiness watering You can treat the condition yourself by gently wiping the crusts off your eyelashes with a clean cotton wool pad, soaked in water you’ve boiled and then let cool. You can also hold a cool flannel to your eyes to cool them down. It’s important you clean your hands often with soapy water and wash your pillow cases and face cloths in hot water and detergent. But you should see a GP if your symptoms haven’t cleared up after two weeks, or your baby is less than 28 days old and has red eyes, NHS guidance says. The WHO has named ‘red or irritated eyes’ as one of the less common Covid-19 symptoms. So far it’s been quite rare, only affecting 1-3 per cent of those who get the bug. Other uncommon symptoms include: aches and painsdiarrhoeaa rash on skin, or discolouration of fingers or toes