L.A. County has identified the first local cases of a newly emerging strain of COVID-19. Known as Arcturus, the strain represented roughly 1.3% of the cases that were examined.
Los Angeles County has identified the first local cases of a newly emerging strain of COVID-19, the public health director said, although the numbers remain generally low and current vaccines are believed to be effective in preventing severe illness from it.
That's a mere fraction of the currently dominant strain in the nation and county, known as XBB.1.5, which accounts for 71% of local cases according to the most recent testing data. Arcturus has primarily been seen in India, and Ferrer said experts are still analyzing its effects. While no formal studies have been done, she said that anecdotal evidence out of India suggests the variant appears to be infecting young children at higher rates than other strains.
Ferrer said the county will be closely monitoring spread of the virus strain, but she noted that XBB.1.16 and all other currently circulating strains are offshoots of the Omicron variant, which is targeted by the currently available COVID-19 vaccine booster.
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