A new COVID-19 variant, BA.3.2—nicknamed “Cicada”— is spreading across the United States, health officials say. At least 23 countries have reported this strain as of February 11, according to a recent study by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
New COVID variant spreads in the US – What is the BA.3.2 ‘Cicada’ variant?
BA.3.2 is a new branch of SARS-CoV-2, different from the JN.1 variants that have dominated infections in recent years. The variant has around 70 to 75 changes in its spike protein, the part of the virus that helps it enter human cells. These mutations give it “immune escape characteristics,” meaning it can partly evade protection from vaccines or previous COVID infections.
The CDC study also added two sublineages, BA.3.2.1 and BA.3.2.2, showing that the virus continues to evolve. They caution that the true spread of this variant may be larger than reported because many countries have limited testing and genomic tracking.
How the variant was found
BA.3.2 was first identified in South Africa in November 2024 and later appeared in the US in June 2025, in a traveller from the Netherlands. By late 2025, it accounted for around 30% of sequenced cases in parts of Europe, including Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands.
The BA.3.2 variant has been detected in multiple ways in the US. This includes nasal swabs from four travellers, clinical samples from five patients, three airplane wastewater samples and 132 wastewater surveillance samples across 25 states. The CDC is tracking BA.3.2 through its Traveller-Based Genomic Surveillance program.
Symptoms of the ‘Cicada’ variant
Early reports suggest BA.3.2 does not cause completely new symptoms but may show some trends. According to Robert H. Hopkins Jr., medical director at the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, severe sore throat is commonly reported. Other symptoms include: fever or chills, cough, fatigue, headache, muscle aches, congestion or runny nose, loss of taste or smell, nausea or vomiting, diarrhoea, and shortness of breath.
So far, there is no evidence that BA.3.2 causes more severe illness than other variants.
Vaccine effectiveness
Experts are studying how well existing vaccines work against BA.3.2. The WHO says vaccines and antiviral treatments are expected to still protect against severe disease. However, the many mutations in the spike protein raise concerns. Hopkins said, “The number of mutations makes it less likely that current vaccines will be as highly effective, but we need more data to be sure.”
A variant with a history
BA.3.2 first appeared in the U.S. in June 2025, in a person travelling from the Netherlands. It started to rise globally around September 2025. Between November 2025 and January 2026, the variant made up about 30% of cases in Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands.
Experts say that BA.3.2 shows “immune escape characteristics,” meaning it can partially avoid protection from vaccines or previous infections. While this may increase the risk of infection, it does not necessarily cause more severe illness.
The CDC study adds that BA.3.2 is a new branch of the virus, different from previous lineages like JN.1, LP.8.1, and XFG that have circulated in the US since January 2024.
Because the spike protein changes in BA.3.2 could reduce protection from vaccines or prior infection, the CDC says ongoing genomic surveillance is important. Scientists will keep monitoring the virus to understand its spread and potential impact on public health.
The future impact of BA.3.2 is uncertain. Experts say it might drive a summer COVID surge in the US and could become a dominant strain, but that is not guaranteed.
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