New 'Arcturus' Covid variant as surge of cases sees face mask rules return

Cases of a new Covid-19 variant Arcturus have surged in India causing havoc across the country.The XBB.1.16 strain, which is an Omicron sub-variant, has caused cases to soar 13-fold in the last month, with health officials in India launching mock drills this week in a bid to test hospital readiness for a possible influx of Covid positive patients.Officials have also made the wearing of face coverings mandatory in public places in certain states for the first time in over a year for some areas, reports the Mirror.The southern state of Kerela has seen cases rise by a huge 3.122 in a single day, with face coverings now compulsory for elderly people, pregnant women, and those with underlying health conditions.The measures come after India's Ministry of Health recored 40,215 active Covid infection on April 12, with testing now being ramped up nationwide.First detected in January, the Arcturus strain is currently being monitored by the World Health Organisation (WHO), with officials noting some mutations of concern."We haven't seen a change in severity in individuals or in populations but that's why we have these systems in place," said the WHO's Covid technical lead Dr Maria Van Kerkhove."It has one additional mutation in the spike protein which in lab studies shows increased infectivity as well as potential increased pathogenicity."Arcturus has now overtaken other variants when it comes to infection levels across India, with some cases identified in other countries.Currently, there has been no reported change in severity of disease in those who have become infect by the variant. Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our newsletter here.