Arcturus COVID strain invades Florida, may be linked to pink eye. Where did the name come from?

As COVID-positive patients continue leaving Florida’s hospitals, the latest viral variant thought to cause pink eye has been spreading in the state. Meanwhile, state health officials have yet to resume weekly reporting of case and death data to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Here’s the latest:

Arcturus slowly spreading in Florida

A dozen cases of arcturus, a coronavirus strain that appears to be linked to pink eye infections, have been found in Florida so far. Online "variant hunters" named it after the brightest star in the Northern Hemisphere, according to the Daily Mail. The word means "Guardian of the Bear."

The international COVID initiative GISAID has collected 12 cases of arcturus, an offshoot of the virus’ omicron variant. Officially labeled XBB.1.16, it comprises an estimated 4% to 15% of cases in the southeast United States, the CDC reports.

Although some reports say it causes pink eye, scientists have yet to confirm the strain causes conjunctivitis. The first arcturus case in Florida that GISAID collected was confirmed Feb. 15. The database does not show which city or county it was in.

COVID hospitalizations still declining

795 hospital patients Friday, the fewest since April 25, 2022. That's far fewer than the nearly 3,000 in early January. (Source: U.S. Health and Human Services Department).

Florida's weekly COVID reporting to CDC still paused

The Florida Department of Health did not answer questions Friday about when it will resume weekly reports to the CDC about COVID cases and deaths.

The state Health Department said April 7 that it had paused sending data to the CDC to upgrade its case reporting systems to match the CDC’s expanded definition of a COVID case.

The definition was changed in late February. It now includes test results from over-the-counter kits and tests performed on the dead.

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Before Florida stopped sending statistics to the CDC, the federal agency would report new infection and death numbers from the state weekly. Since then, the state Health Department’s biweekly COVID report has become the only source for those updates.

The department removed more than 32,000 cases in its most recent report, published April 14. The department has yet to explain why.

Viral loads slowly rising in Leon, a few other counties

Wastewater, which reveals coronavirus trends sooner than official case counts, shows viral levels rising in Miami-Dade, Leon and Seminole counties, but still far lower than during the most recent COVID surge.

Testing found 358 coronavirus particles per milliliter of sewage in Miami-Dade County, Boston-based private laboratory Biobot Analytics said Wednesday. That’s a 58% increase since March 29. But it’s 64% less than late January.

Results have been similar in Seminole County, a northern neighbor of Orange County. Wednesday readings found 522 viral particles per milliliter of sewage. It's higher than three weeks ago but 36% of January’s level.

Readings last week from Leon County, home to Tallahassee, revealed rising levels there, but still far less than in January. Biobot has yet to report new results this week.

Wastewater from Alachua County, home to Gainesville and the University of Florida, showed falling levels again after a slight rise from late March through last week.

Sewage readings from Palm Beach, Hillsborough, Orange and Pinellas counties continue to show viral loads well below their winter peaks.

Should you mask up indoors?

The CDC can’t issue indoor masking recommendations in Florida due to lack of data from the state.

Florida vaccination rates still among nation's worst

30.4% — Floridians 65 and older who have gotten the latest booster*

42.4% — Seniors boosted nationwide**

11.5% — Floridians up to date on shots

16.7% — Americans up to date

More than 7.5 million infected in Florida, which is more than 1 in 3 residents.

*Those 65 and older comprise the vast majority of COVID deaths.

**Only seniors in Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Tennessee have less protection than those in Florida.

Chris Persaud is The Palm Beach Post's data reporter. Email him at cpersaud[at]pbpost.com. Click @ChrisMPersaud and follow him on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Arcturus COVID strain invades Florida slowly