A new variant of coronavirus which was behind a surge of infections in India has been linked to 50 cases in the UK. Named Arcturus and also known as XBB.1.16, the strain is the most recent Omicron sub-variant.
It was first discovered in January, and could potentially be 1.2 times more infectious than previous sub-variants, reports the Daily Record.
Although the new variant has not resulted in any deaths, the World Health Organisation has confirmed it's been identified in 22 countries so far, including the UK, USA, Australia and Singapore.
An outbreak of Arcturus in India has resulted in the reintroduction of face masks in public places within some states. READ MORE: Join the FREE Manchester Evening News WhatsApp community Data from variant trackers indicates that the UK has sequenced nearly 50 samples of Arcturus.