THE new coronavirus variant, called Arcturus or XBB1.16 Covid-19, has been detected in Sarawak with six cases to date, the Institute of Health and Community Medicine (IHCM) of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak director David Perera said today.

In his latest surveillance report, Perera said the Arcturus had been responsible for the dramatic rise in cases in India.

IHCM is responsible for tracking Covid variants in Sarawak.

It is reported the adverse effects of this new Arcturus variant is the worst one so far and seems to be targeting children more.

“The World Health Organization has categorised the Arcturus variant as a variant under surveillance due to its potential for increased infectivity and pathogenicity,” Perera stated in his report.

He said now that the Arcturus variant has been detected in the state, the general public is strongly advised “to be aware of the heightened risk of increased infection rate”.

With Hari Raya Aidilfitri just days away, Perera said Sarawak folk must take the necessary precautions to avoid infection and prevent the spread to vulnerable individuals.

On the XBB1.11.1 variant that is predominantly found in Southeast Asia, Perera said there are 12 cases of the variant detected to date.

The Omicron variant of concern remains the dominant circulating variant in the state, Perera said.

Of the 33 samples sequenced between February 20 and April 13, the majority are the Omicron variant, “with several different XBB.1 sub-variants”.

These samples were obtained predominantly in Kuching while Serian contributed one and Sibu contributed two. – April 20, 2023.