Rare COVID symptom reported as latest omicron subvariant hits the U.S.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/health/article/covid-subvariant-xbb-1-16-conjunctivitis-17898060.php

Note: It's pink eye

A new COVID-19 subvariant “threatens to shatter” hopes to stave off a new coronavirus surge in the U.S. before next winter, and some experts worry it could be linked to the rise of a previously rare pandemic symptom.

XBB.1.16, which reached reportable levels in the U.S. last week, could be behind an uptick of conjunctivitis, especially in children, reports from India suggest, alongside the more common symptoms of fever, cough and fatigue.

The latest omicron subvariant, thought to be the most transmissible yet, is fueling a surge of cases in India. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows XBB.1.16 nearly doubled its proportion in the U.S. last week, although it still is considerably less prevalent than other subvariants circulating in the country.

At the same time, pediatrician Vipin M. Vashishtha, a member of the World Health Organization’s Vaccine Safety Net program, also noted a rise in cases of “itchy conjunctivitis with sticky eyes” in India that appear to be to be associated with XBB.1.16, although no studies have yet been published to confirm the linkage.

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New COVID variant causes allergy-like symptoms
https://www.fox5ny.com/news/new-covid-variant-causes-itchy-watery-eyes


Doctors here in New York City and around the world are looking into the new omicron subvariant, arcturus, that's spreading fast.

" concerning is that the fact that it may be resistant in terms of antibodies we may have from the other omicron subvariant, so this specific strain may be able to evade those antibodies that our body may have formed to the other omicron subvariants," offered Dr. Rabia Delatour at New York University's Langone Health.

Arcturus is highly contagious among children in India and it's causing a new symptom.

"Something unique about this strain is that we're seeing a lot more cases in children in India, and those children are experiencing some severe conjunctivitis, which is redness or irritation of the eyes and this wasn't previously seen with other immigrants of variants, so it’s something unique to this strain," Dr. Delatour continued.

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Anecdotal: Co-worker took his wife and 3 kids on vacation in Mexico. All came back with COVID. (Unclear if he had COVID before travelling or if he caught it while travelling.) Everyone's fine - his wife is pretty sick but doesn't appear serious.