New Covid-19 XBB.1.16, also known as Arcturus, has been found in Macau, according to Health Bureau Director Alvis Lo, who has assured that his bureau will closely monitor the situation. Named after the brightest star in the northern celestial hemisphere, the Arcturus variant first appeared in India on 23 January and – as of 20 April – has spread to at least 31 countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently upgraded the variant from “variant under monitoring” to “variant of interest”. There have been reports of increased pink eye symptoms (conjunctivitis) but the WHO has implied that there is no major shift in symptoms for the Arcturus variant.
Photo: Fusion Medical Animation
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