Arcturus Sub-Variant: Russia Detects New COVID Strain and Global Implications (Rospotrebnadzor)

Rospotrebnadzor announced that the Arcturus sub-variant of the coronavirus has been detected in Russia, adding that this strain spreads about 1.2 times faster than Kraken. Despite its higher transmissibility, officials emphasize that Arcturus is not highly pathogenic, and infections typically run a mild course. In Canada and the United States, experts note that monitoring of new sub-variants remains ongoing, with vaccination still serving as the primary defense against infection and severe illness. Arcturus, first identified in January 2023 and initially observed mainly in India, continues to be tracked by public health agencies worldwide as part of standard surveillance for evolving SARS-CoV-2 lineages (Rospotrebnadzor).