What’s up with this new ‘Arcturus’ subvariant of SARS-CoV-2?
Arcturus (XBB.1.16) is a subvariant of the omicron variant that the World Health Organization recently classified as a “variant of interest”.
Please join us for our monthly Nerdy Girl Live on Friday, 4/28, at 1 pm EDT for: Let’s talk about sex… plus gender, chocolate, Mifepristone, and COVID-19 boosters. Hosted by: Mary-Kathleen Haber, FNP-C, MSN, IBCLC, TNG Contributing Member, Reproductive Health Squad and Chana Davis, PhD: TNG Contributing Writer & Founder of Fueled by Science
What’s up with this new ‘Arcturus’ subvariant of SARS-CoV-2?
Arcturus (XBB.1.16) is a subvariant of the omicron variant that the World Health Organization recently classified as a “variant of interest”.
TL; DR: The Arcturus subvariant has been growing in dominance since it was first identified in January 2023. It was classified as a “variant of interest” as it seems to have a growth advantage, but whether it might cause more severe disease is still unclear.
As of this past week, Arcturus has been found in 30 countries and accounts for > 7% of SARS-CoV-2 infections in the U.S. In late March, the World Health Organization had classified it as a variant under monitoring and then a few days ago it was upgraded further to a variant of interest (which is a step below variant of concern).
Variants of interest (VOI) are those that have genetic changes that give the virus a growth advantage AND are predicted to affect:
* transmissibility (i.e. how easily it is passed from person to person),
* immune evasion (i.e., the ability of the virus to avoid getting detected by antibodies that were
produced by our body after getting vaccinated or infected),
* virulence (i.e. the severity of disease it causes), and
* extent to which the virus can be treated with available medications and detected by tests.
A VOI switches to a variant of concern (VOC) if there is a medium to high level of confidence that it will:
* cause worse clinical severity OR
* impact the ability of health systems to provide care to those with COVID-19 or other illnesses requiring major public health interventions OR
* significantly decrease the effectiveness of currently available vaccines.
For now, it remains unclear whether Arcturus will go on to meet the criteria for being classified as a VOC. Important to keep in mind, is that even if it does, it is very unlikely that genetic mutations in the virus would be so substantial as to completely render prior immunity from infection and/or vaccination completely ineffective.
The good news also is given that Arcturus is a subvariant of the omicron variant and the updated COVID-19 booster shot targets the omicron variant, getting a booster shot (if you haven’t already) should provide you decent protection. Some groups of people are also now eligible for a second updated booster dose (see our recent post here for more info), which is good timing!
As with other variants that have come on the scene in the past, the same tried and true tactics (i.e., wearing high-quality masks, avoiding crowded places, increasing ventilation) still apply as added layers of protection beyond vaccination.
Overall, while Arcturus is on the radar for potentially being more transmissible (and could therefore cause a surge in cases), there is not currently any indication that it causes more severe disease. Those Nerdy Girls will keep tabs on this new subvariant and share out any updates as the situation evolves.
Stay safe, stay well!
Additional Resources:
For more information on ‘Arcturus’, click here
ICYMI - Digest of Recent Posts:
Infectious Diseases: There was an increase in Group A Strep infections this year. Any updates?
Meet Those Nerdy Girls: Jennifer Beam Dowd
Reminder that we now have an online store filled with amazing nerdy merchandise.
Your purchases will help financially support the science communication mission of Those Nerdy Girls.
P.S. We’d love to see pics of you and your friends and family sporting their new TNG swag. You might even be featured in our shop! Email us your pics at info@dearpandemic.org
For over two years, Those Nerdy Girls have empowered individuals to navigate health decisions during a global pandemic. Thank you for trusting us to support YOU.
Those Nerdy Girls are here to stay - expanding on our mission to breakdown complex health information. To keep going, we need your help. Please consider a donation to Those Nerdy Girls. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.
Like what you read? Please share it with others!
If you have a question, let us know!
We read every question and use them to inform our upcoming content, though we are unable to respond to each specific question.