THE new Covid variant has claimed it’s first victim, as the bug begins to sweep the UK.
The first death from XBB.1.16, nicknamed ‘Arcturus‘, was recorded in Thailand yesterday, amid a surge in cases across the globe.
GettyArcturus is thought to be more infectious than the XBB.1.5 ‘Kraken’ strain of the bug.[/caption]
Dr Supakit Sirilak, director-general of the Medical Sciences Department, revealed this week that it was an unnamed elderly man died from the new variant.
He told Thailand’s PBS news station that the man who died was “an elderly foreigner” with underlying health conditions.
“His death, therefore, may not directly reflect the severity of this subvariant but rather its impact on other risk factors,” he added.
The Omicron spin-off is thought to be more infectious than the XBB.1.5 ‘Kraken‘ strain of the bug.
But more severe illness hasn’t been found in people infected with the new variant.
The strain has already been found to be milder than others that came before it.
And the mammoth rollout of vaccines across the UK has meant many already have some level of protection from the bug.
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.
hat’s why we have these systems in place.”
She said that laboratory studies showed “increased infectivity as well as potential increased pathogenicity”.
Dr Maria added that while XBB.1.16 had been detected in other countries most sequences were from India where it had replaced other variants.
So far, it’s been detected in 20 additional countries, including the UK and US.
According to the UK Health Security Agency, there are currently less than 100 cases in the country and severe illness hasn’t been found in people infected with the new variant.
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.
However, there is currently no hard evidence to prove whether Arcturus is driving this new range of symptoms in children.
Will my vaccine work against it?
Early research suggests there is no need to be concerned about the a Arcturus.
The mammoth rollout of vaccines across the UK means many already have some level of protection from the bug.
And even though the variant is causing infections in people who have been vaccinated, it doesn’t mean its capable of causing severe illness.