‘Arcturus’ XBB.1.16: CDC tracker and map show where the latest COVID-19 variant is spreading

A new variant of COVID-19, unofficially nicknamed “Arcturus,” is spreading across America and other countries. Early signs point to it being more contagious than the previous variant in its lineage, but so far it doesn’t seem to cause more serious disease.



The new variant was first reported in January 2023. On April 17, the World Health Organization (WHO) designated it a Variant of Interest. Here’s what you need to know about the Arcturus COVID variant:



What is Arcturus? The Arcturus variant of COVID-19 that is now spreading in America is officially classified as XBB.1.16. The variant is the offspring of two prior BA.2 lineages. In other words, the XBB.1.16 variant is a subvariant of omicron, which first started spreading widely in November 2021. What are the symptoms of XBB.1.16? For the most part, symptoms are the same as most omicron symptoms. However, there are reports that it may have some distinguishing features from other variants, reports Healthline . Notably, it may cause conjunctivitis, or pink eye, an inflammation of the eye.  Does Arcturus cause increased illness? Thankfully, at this time it doesn’t appear that Arcturus causes more severe illness than previous versions of omicron. Is Arcturus more contagious? Yes, it appears so. As NBC News reports , Arcturus is more transmissible than previous versions of omicron. That transmissibility seems to be because Arcturus can more easily evade the body’s immune detection capabilities. Where is Arcturus spreading? According to an April 17, statement from the WHO, based on sequencing data, Arcturus has been found in 33 countries so far. India has over 63% of global cases, followed by the United States at nearly 11% of cases, then Singapore, Australia, and Canada. According to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , Arcturus is estimated to account for 9.6% of COVID cases in the United States. That’s a rise from 5.7% of cases a week earlier. It’s important to point out that the total number of cases are still relatively low. According to the CDC’s county-level map , most counties appear in green, meaning they are experiencing low levels of community spread. Meanwhile, the New York Times tracking page , which uses weekly data from the CDC, has generally been showing a decline in weekly cases overall. How can I protect myself against Arcturus? Experts say you should take the same precautions against Arcturus as you would against prior variants. That means getting vaccinated and boosted, washing your hands often, social distancing, and wearing masks in crowded spaces.