…Researched and contributed by Lola Smith.
The Arcturus variant of the Coronavirus is currently causing rising cases and warnings from scientists.
With its spike protein mutations, scientists fear that this sub-variant of Omicron could soon become the dominant strain and could be more aggressive than previous strains. The Arcturus variant has also been found to cause a rare new symptom in children: conjunctivitis.
India is currently experiencing a spike in the infection rate, with scientists attributing this to the Arcturus variant.
The Covid strain has now been found in 22 countries, but with less than 100 confirmed cases in the UK, it may not be time to panic just yet.
Importance of Genomic Surveillance
According to Virologist Professor Lawrence Young from the University of Warwick, the emergence of the Arcturus variant is a sign that “we’re not yet out of the woods.”
Young highlights the importance of genomic surveillance to find out if a new variant is more infectious or disease-causing than previous strains.
He explains that “we can’t be sure what variants are around and what level of infection they’re causing until we see a significant outbreak.”
Countries Letting Their Guard Down
Data analysed by The Independent shows that many countries, including the UK, have scaled down their testing, vaccination, and tracing capabilities.
This means that they would be unprepared if another deadly Covid strain were to hit, and another lockdown may be on the cards.
Rates of testing for Covid-19 have dramatically reduced, and contact tracing has also significantly reduced, making it impossible to effectively monitor the spread of new outbreaks.
The UK Government shut down its own Covid surveillance programme – ‘Test and Trace’ – in early 2022, despite protests from experts.
Hope for the Future
While the emergence of the Arcturus variant is a cause for concern, there is hope that it will not evolve into another deadly strain.
Booster shot schemes are being implemented to keep targeted groups protected against infection, and over five billion people worldwide have received a Covid vaccination.
However, 30% of the world’s population, largely in the global South, remain unvaccinated against Covid.