What is BA.3.2 or ‘Cicada’?
The newest COVID variant is officially named variant BA.3.2, but it has been given the nickname of “Cicada.”
It earned the nickname because BA.3.2 is an offshoot of the BA 3 variant, which hasn’t circulated widely for nearly four years, lying dormant as cicadas do.
The new variant has significant mutations when compared to variants JN.1 and LP.8.1, according to reports. That’s critical because those were the two variants used to develop the 2025-2026 COVID vaccine.
“We don’t know yet if [BA.3.2] can evade the vaccine, but we’re worried that it can,” warned Dr. Marc J. Kahn, with the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine, while speaking with Nexstar’s KLAS. He added that the strain, part of the omicron family, may be more contagious than those before it.
The variant was first detected in South Africa in November 2024. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that BA.3.2 was first detected in the U.S. last June in a person who had traveled from the Netherlands. The first clinical detection happened earlier this year in January.
Where has Cicada variant spread?
The variant is not yet the dominant strain in the U.S.
However, it makes up 30% of cases in European countries, the latest data from the European Respiratory Virus Surveillance Summary shows.
In a report released earlier this month, the CDC reported that, through mid-February, BA.3.2 was found in voluntary swabs by four U.S. travelers, the clinical samples of five patients, three tests of airplane wastewater, and 132 wastewater surveillance samples across 25 states.
In the U.S., the current prevalence is 0.55% according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. States where the variant has been found in wastewater or testing include California, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and Wyoming.
What are the symptoms of Cicada?
As of now, the symptoms appear to be the same as any other COVID variant.
Those include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, loss of taste or smell, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, nausea or vomiting and diarrhea.
Dr. Robert H. Hopkins, Jr., medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, told USA Today that there does not yet appear to be any data suggesting BA.3.2 causes more severe cases of COVID than other variants. The most-reported symptom remains a sore throat.
How can you protect against Cicada?
Although there is a chance the spike mutations will make the vaccine less effective when it comes to getting Cicada, experts say it will still protect against severe illness.
In addition to getting vaccinated, washing hands, wearing a mask and social distancing all help to protect against COVID-19.
