Omicron’s New Variant Arcturus Rapidly Spreading Worldwide, Causing Pink Eye

A coronavirus model sits on a table ahead of a Senate hearing in Washington, on July 2, 2020. Saul Loeb/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

A new COVID-19 variant, Omicron XBB. 1.16, also called Arcturus, was first discovered in January 2023.

One of the characteristics of Arcturus infection is conjunctivitis, otherwise known as pink eye. It is spreading rapidly in many countries, including the United States, the UK, Australia, Singapore, China, and India.