MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

First case of Arcturus reported in Brazil

The patient was a 75-year-old man with comorbiditiea

São Paulo's Municipal Health Secretariat reported this week the first case of variant XBB.1.16 of Covid-19, also known as Arcturus in a 75-year-old man, bedridden and with comorbidities, who presented the symptoms of influenza syndrome and persistent fever on April 7.

According to the secretariat, the patient was transferred to a private hospital in São Paulo for medical attention and was discharged on April 27. Despite being fully vaccinated against Covid-19, including the Pfizer bivalent dose, the elderly man was diagnosed with the Arcturus variant.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is currently monitoring the Arcturus variant as a variant of interest. So far, there has been no evidence of increased severity or rise in the number of cases in São Paulo. However, the variant has been associated with symptoms such as eye irritation (similar to conjunctivitis), dry cough, and febrile episodes, the Municipal Health Secretariat noted.

Read also: New strain of Covid-19 detected: Arcturus

(Source: Agencia Brasil)