New COVID 'arcturus' mutation causes different symptoms in children

 TAMPA. Researchers are currently monitoring a sub-variant of the micromicron virus COVID-19 XBB.1.16, also known as arcturus.

“Things seem to be improving a bit,” said Dr. Michael Teng, a virologist and associate professor of public health at USF.
"It really hit me because this virus is already probably the most contagious virus known to man. So I'm really not sure when this will stop," said Dr. Thomas Unnash, a researcher and public health expert.
 Arcturus is responsible for the current spike in cases in India, which reports 11,000 new cases daily.
The World Health Organization has announced that it is tracking the subvariant because it is currently found in dozens of countrie. Some cases have been found in the United States. According to the latest data from the CDC, it accounts for about 7.2% of new cases.

 "I think we're going to see growth and I'm guessing we're probably going to see something similar to what they're seeing in India," Unnash said. However, they found that it affected many more children, causing symptoms different from other mutations, including increased conjunctivitis and high fever.

“It's not that we haven't seen him before. It just happens more often,” Ten said.
Health officials say as the horned rat continues to spread, we expect more children to become infected.
“I think another thing that we are probably seeing in India is the first evidence that this could become a childhood disease. This is where a lot of viruses end up,” Unnash said.
The sub-option came about when the FDA just revised its guidance for bivalent vaccines, allowing them for all doses given to people six months of age and older, including additional doses for certain populations.
The new guidelines include a recommendation that people aged 65 and over receive a second dose of the bivalent vaccine four months after the first dose.
 The FDA also now recommends that most immunocompromised people receive additional doses at least two months after the first dose of the bivalent vaccine.
"As we're concerned about the surge in infections with the more contagious variant, now is the time to start building up your immunity so that when we see more cases of this new variant, you know your immune system will be ready to fight it," Tan said.