The latest strain of covid spreading around the globe has been confirmed in Scotland.
Five cases of the new Arcturus variant have been reported north of the border, with five deaths reported elsewhere in the UK.
According to the UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA), there are at least 120 cases of in England.
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Also know as Omicron XBB.1.16, Wales currently have eight cases and Northern Ireland have two.
But what do we know about it so far? Here's everything you need to know.
What is the Arcturus variant?
Arcturus is the name given to the latest variant of SARS-CoV-2, that causes Covid-19. The latest strain said to be an Omicron sub-variant, Arcturus, may be up to 1.2 times more infectious that previous sub-variants, according to researchers.
Also known as XBB.1.16, the latest variant is said to be a mix of two Omicron variants that were previously circulating.
Symptoms of the Arcturus variant
As previously reported by Glasgow Live, health chiefs have said that there is no evidence to suggest the new variant is more severe than past ones, however, there are symptoms not previously seen in other covid strains.
People have been showing mild cold-like symptoms while some have noted conjunctivitis (sticky, crusty eyes) in kids.
The new strain has brought with it a rare new symptom, according to a doctor, with sufferers complaining of "itchy" conjunctivas or pinkeye. The new sign may be present alongside the "typical" covid symptoms of a fever and ongoing cough, reports the Mirror.
Dr Michael Chang, a paediatric infections diseases expert at UTHealth Houston and Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, told Yagoo News there isn't enough evidence to prove the new covid variant is causing conjunctivitis.
"We don't have the context of whether they're seeing that in some of the regions in India," he said.
"We know their covid cases are going up, and presumably, these kids are testing positive for covid, but we don't know if they're testing positive for anything else either."
The medical expert explained that there are other diseases which can cause pink eye including adenovirus which is common during the spring and summer time.
"We are seeing adenovirus circulating," he said, "so even if covid cases go up, unless you're doing testing for both covid and adenovirus, which most people aren't... it may be difficult [to determine] what's causing your pink eye."
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