Delhi – A new strain of Covid has emerged in India that has raised concerns. This strain-Arcturus or Omicron subvariant XBB.1.16 – may be 1.2 times more infectious than the previous major sub-variant. The World Health Organisation has been monitoring this strain since 22 March. One additional mutation has been detected in the spike protein that could increase its infectivity and potential pathogenicity. No changes in severity have been observed so far. According to WHO estimates, India suffered a total of 4.7 million excess deaths due to Covid during the Delta wave.
