is it likely to become a problem? – breaking latest news

There are four, second the latest report of the Higher Institute of Health (data from 4 April) the cases sequenced in Italy due to variant Arturo (o Arcturus)responsible for a boom in infections in India in recent days (+ 70%). One case was identified at the IRCCS San Matteo di Pavia. So far, however, the rapid spread of the latest Omicron subvariant has not led to an increase in hospitalizations and deaths. Arthur (XBB.1.16) is being watched by the World Health Organization, together with Kraken (XBB.1.5) and the latest addition Hyperion (XBB.1.9.1), also due to the F486P mutationcommon to all three.

Cases among children

In India Arturo caused an increase in infections among childreneven very small ones, with a symptom that has so far been rarely associated with Omicron subvariants: redness, burning and itchy eyes. Symptoms similar to an allergic conjunctivitis. This was underlined by pediatrician Vipin Vashishtha, former coordinator of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics and member of the World Health Organization’s Vaccine Safety Net program. In recent days, the reports of pediatric cases of Covid have restarted, of which we had not heard of for six months – wrote the expert on Twitter -: infants with high fever, cold, cough and itchy and non-purulent conjunctivitis, this ‘utima not observed in previous waves.

More contagious than Kraken

According to a study by the University of Tokyo published in preprint on bioRxiv
Arturo it could be 1.2 times more contagious than Kraken. The new strain, one of more than 600 subvariants of Omicron, was first detected in January. What is worrying is its high diffusion capacity: it has three additional mutations in the Spike protein, including F486P. All Omicron XBB subvariants with the F486P replacement have spread widely around the world – underline the Japanese experts -. XBB.1.16 has immense potential to infect people, to a greater extent than XBB.1 (Hippogryph) and XBB.1.5 (Kraken). XBB.1.16 has been reported in 22 countries so far, including the United States. According to the WHO, Arturo would not be able to cause more serious symptoms than the other sisters in the Omicron family.

Unjustified alarmism

Matthew Bassettidirector of the Infectious Diseases Clinic at the San Martino polyclinic in Genoa, warns againstunjustified alarmism. Reading some Italian newspapers it seems to be sorry that the pandemic is over and Covid defeated in its clinical gravity – writes Bassetti on Twitter -. In fact, we read: “In India the Arturo variant is infecting many children, even the youngest. The infection affects the eyes. As many as 7,830 new positives in the last 24 hours ”. Do you know how many people there are in India? One and a half billion. It would be like having 300 cases in our country. How many there are probably every day in Milan or Rome. Not dangerous for the eyes – adds the infectious disease specialist -. It causes conjunctivitis like almost all influenza and parainfluenza viruses. For us doctors a very typical sign, it doesn’t worry us. Arturo is a subvariant of Omicron and therefore very contagious but this virus no longer has the clinical characteristics of the one seen in March 2020.

Symptoms not to worry

Per Massimo Ciccozzidirector of the Epidemiological Unit at the Campus Biomedico University of Rome, the fact that Arturo has also been identified in Italy is good news, because it indicates the fact that variant surveillance works. In terms of danger and contagiousness, it does not cause fear: since it is from the same family as Omicron. We probably already have more than one case in Italy, but what matters is the symptomatology and we don’t have to worry about this. In India, Ciccozzi points out, the variant has become prevalent and drives an increase in infections, but the characteristics of that state must be taken into consideration, starting from the fact that it produces vaccines but which he vaccinated the population very little. Finally, conjunctivitis, underlines the epidemiologist, can occur for many reasons: allergy, contact with infected hands. Not scientifically proven to be a symptom related to subvariant XBB.1.16.