Map shows alarming spread of Covid variant Acturus across the US state by state
A map using latest government figures shows how a new Covid variant alarming scientists is spreading across the US.
The variant known as Arcturus is rapidly spreading across the globe and worried health officials have warned it has new symptoms not seen in previous strains.
Some countries have even reintroduced Covid restrictions in the face of the new variant.
Infectious disease doctors say the strain's mutation makes it highly transmissible.
Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, said: "It tends to produce more fever than some of the other strains we've seen.
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The map uses state by state data on the number of cases of Covid from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC also have a variant tracker to help the public keep informed about the many variants of Covid spreading through US communities.
It estimates variant proportions based on viral genetic sequences
The govermnent of President Joe Biden is watching the situation closely (Getty Images)Arcturus, which is also known as XBB.1.16, is a subvariant of Omicron which seems to be more transmissible, having fuelled a recent surge of Covid cases in India, years on from the height of the pandemic.
It was first reported in January 2023. On April 17, the World Health Organization (WHO) designated it a Variant of Interest.
Authorities in Iowa and Pennsylvania, do not readily publish Covid case numbers in the state.
The CDC did not have available data for Acturus cases in South Dakota.
The state with the highest number of cases is Illinois where 101 Acturus cases have been found.
Map showing the community spread of Covid across the US (cdc.gov)This is followed by California (90), Georgia (79), Indiana (71) and Florida (58).
The US and the United Kingdom are among 29 countries in total where the variant has been detected - and while levels have so far remained low, health officials are keeping a close eye on it.
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Overall the number of Covid cases in the US has been on the decline since January 2023 especially among the 70+ age bracket who are most vulnerable.
This latest variant reportedly also comes with a new symptom, not seen before with a coronavirus strain.
Reports from doctors in India, where the strain is rife, have said they are seeing more children and adolescents with the variant presenting with conjunctivitis - or pink eye.
Indian paediatrician Vipn M. Vashishtha, also a member of the WHO's Vaccine Safety Net programme, said at the start of April that he had seen paediatric Covid cases "once again after a gap" of six months.
He explained youngsters were presenting with a high fever, cold and cough, and "itchy conjunctivitis" with "sticky eyes".
However, Dr Michael Chang, a paediatric infections diseases expert at UTHealth Houston and Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, told Yagoo News there isn't enough evidence to prove the new Covid variant is causing conjunctivitis.
"We don't have the context of whether they're seeing that in some of the regions in India," he said.
"We know their Covid cases are going up, and presumably, these kids are testing positive for Covid, but we don't know if they're testing positive for anything else either."
He explained there are other viruses which can cause pink eye - including adenovirus which is common in spring and summer.
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