THE world’s first death from the highly infectious Arcturus strain was recorded in Thailand.
The director-general of the medical sciences department in Thailand claimed that the dead person was an elderly foreigner with underlying health conditions.
A total of 27 cases of the XBB.1.16, also known as the Arcturus strain, had been detected in Thailand as of April 17.
Arcturus is an Omicron sub-variant that can spread easily.
It was first detected in January and has spread to about two dozen countries since then.
Health officials have issued a warning regarding the alarming strain and urged the general public to exercise caution.
The variant however leads to mild symptoms, and no severe complications have been noticed so far.
Experts recently added a new symptom linked to the variant which includes itchy eyes, conjunctivitis, and pink eye.
