Warning over new Covid variant ‘Arcturus’ that is causing carnage in India

A new Covid strain, dubbed ‘Arcturus’ is wreaking havoc in India.

Technically dubbed Omicron sub-variant XBB.1.16, the new variant is driving a fresh surge in Covid cases in the country with infections soaring 13-fold in the last month.

The rise in cases led India’s health ministry to run mock drills this week to check how prepared hospitals are to deal with a potential influx in patients.

And some states have brought back face masks in public settings, the first time for more than a year in some areas.

India’s Ministry of Health said there were 40,215 active Covid cases on April 12, up by 3,122 in just one day.

While the rise is of some concern it is still far below the devastating wave of cases the country experienced in 2021 from the Delta wave

Separate figures from the Oxford University run platform Our World in Data show that new daily cases hit 3,108 on April 4, up from 242 one month earlier.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is currently monitoring XBB.1.16, which was first detected in late January, with officials saying it had some mutations of concern. 

Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s Covid technical lead, said: ‘It’s been in circulation for a few months. 

‘We haven’t seen a change in severity in individuals or in populations, but that’s why we have these systems in place.

‘It has one additional mutation in the spike protein which in lab studies shows increased infectivity as well as potential increased pathogenicity.’ 

Haryana, in north India, has reintroduced masks in public places due to the ‘significant upsurge’ in Covid cases.

Veena George, Health Minister of southern state Kerela, on Saturday reintroduced masks for pregnant women, the elderly and those with underlying conditions.

On Monday and Tuesday, hospitals across India took part in mock drills to test their preparedness.

Officials have also told states to ramp up testing.

The drills and return of masks are a grim reminder of how the country was devastated by the Delta wave in 2021 with a total of 4.7million excess deaths according to WHO estimates.

India’s health system was overwhelmed by a surge of cases triggered by that Covid variant with some hospitals even running out of oxygen.