Officials in the field of public health have stated that a new strain of the Omicron COVID-19 variation is “likely more communicable” and may exhibit unusual symptoms.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health says that conjunctivitis, also known as “pink eye,” is one of the side effects of XBB.1.16, which is also known as Arcturus. After finding three cases of the strain, called “Arcturus,” in its area of responsibility, the group told people to be careful. But the agency said that local reporting is often late and pointed to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which says that XBB.1.16 is responsible for 8% of COVID-19 cases in California and 10% of cases in the rest of the country right now.”

In addition to the classic COVID symptoms, including fever, cough, and shortness of breath, the observational data “suggests that people infected with XBB.1.16 may be more likely to experience conjunctivitis as a symptom of their COVID infection.” In addition to being extremely contagious and potentially damaging to the cornea if left untreated, conjunctivitis may be extremely uncomfortable and irritating. While “it is too early to know for sure if XBB.1.16 is really linked to higher rates of conjunctivitis in Southern California during an already busy allergy season,” the warning stresses that these symptoms should not be ignored despite the lack of definitive data.