A new chapter in the ongoing COVID-19 saga is quietly unfolding across the globe, as scientists and public health officials track the emergence of a highly mutated variant known as BA.3.2—nicknamed "Cicada" for its stealthy, underground rise. First detected in South Africa in November 2024, this new lineage of SARS-CoV-2 has since been reported in at least 23 countries, including the United States, where it has now appeared in 25 states, according to a recent study published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
While the headlines may not be screaming about BA.3.2 just yet, experts are watching closely. The variant stands out for its staggering number of mutations—an estimated 70 to 75 substitutions and deletions in the spike protein gene sequence, which is the main target for current COVID-19 vaccines. As reported by Everyday Health, this high mutation count is raising eyebrows in scientific circles, not least because it could help the virus slip past the immune defenses built up by prior infections or vaccinations.
“The recently emerged BA.3.2 strain efficiently evades antibodies, likely because of spike protein mutations, highlighting the need for ongoing genomic surveillance and observational evaluations of vaccine and antiviral effectiveness,” the CDC report’s authors wrote. Laboratory studies have shown that the most up-to-date COVID-19 vaccines are less effective against BA.3.2 compared with other circulating strains, according to a summary of the research in New Scientist.
Despite the alarming potential, it’s important to note that BA.3.2 is not currently the dominant strain in the United States. According to the CDC’s surveillance, the variant represents only about 0.19 percent of the roughly 2,500 genetic sequences analyzed nationally as of March 2026. The California Department of Public Health told the San Francisco Chronicle that COVID-19 activity “remains very low statewide,” and there’s no evidence so far that BA.3.2 causes more severe illness than other variants. Dr. Robert H. Hopkins, Jr., medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, echoed this, stating, “So far, I haven’t seen evidence that BA.3.2 is proving to be any more harmful than other circulating variants.”
Still, the variant’s presence is unmistakable. The CDC’s Traveler-Based Genomic Surveillance program has detected BA.3.2 in nasal swabs from four travelers, clinical samples from five patients, three airplane wastewater samples, and a striking 132 wastewater samples from 25 U.S. states. The first positive U.S. test came in June 2025 from a traveler arriving at San Francisco International Airport from the Netherlands, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle and CIDRAP, the University of Minnesota’s infectious disease research center.
Internationally, BA.3.2 has made a bigger splash. Between November 2025 and January 2026, it accounted for about 30 percent of cases identified in Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands, according to the CDC. In several European countries, it has co-circulated with various JN.1 descendant lineages at prevalences of roughly 10 to 40 percent, New Scientist noted. The World Health Organization (WHO) categorized BA.3.2 as a “variant of interest” in 2025 and continues to monitor its spread and evolution.
One of the most concerning aspects for scientists is the variant’s “immune escape characteristics.” The CDC explained that BA.3.2’s mutations may help it partially evade immunity from vaccines or previous infections, making infections more likely even among those who are up-to-date with their shots. However, experts emphasize that this does not necessarily mean more severe disease. Typical COVID-19 symptoms—severe sore throat, congestion, runny nose, cough, fever, loss of taste or smell, fatigue, muscle aches, headache, nausea, diarrhea, and shortness of breath—are being reported, but nothing dramatically different from what has been seen with earlier variants.
“The number of mutations makes it less likely that the current vaccines will be as highly effective against the variant,” Dr. Hopkins told Everyday Health, “but we need more data to better answer this question.” The CDC’s report also highlighted the emergence of two BA.3.2 sublineages, BA.3.2.1 and BA.3.2.2, indicating that the virus continues to evolve as it spreads.
Why the nickname “Cicada”? According to Everyday Health, some researchers liken the variant’s trajectory to the insect’s long dormancy and sudden emergence—BA.3.2 spent months circulating at low levels before “coming to life” on the global stage. This analogy underscores the unpredictable nature of viral evolution, where a variant can remain under the radar before suddenly gaining ground.
Despite the low current threat level, public health officials are not letting their guard down. “I think that BA.3.2 has not shown so far that it is an immediate threat,” said Dr. Andrew Pekosz, a virologist at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, in an interview with Everyday Health. “However, it is circulating and continuing to evolve so that increases the likelihood that it could change and become a more efficient virus at spreading and causing disease.”
Could BA.3.2 drive a summer COVID surge in the U.S.? That remains an open question. “It is possible we will see Cicada drive a summer COVID surge and become the dominant strain in the United States; but that is by no means certain,” Dr. Hopkins said. In the meantime, he urges the public to remain vigilant about respiratory illnesses in general, including flu and RSV, and to get updated versions of all vaccines. “We did not vaccinate enough people and we did not effectively implement preventive measures, so as a result, families lost loved ones to all three viruses,” he noted.
The CDC’s preliminary data for October 2025 to March 2026 estimates that there have been up to 10.4 million COVID-19 illnesses and between 12,000 and 35,000 COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. during this period. Globally, the WHO reports over 779 million COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic, a sobering reminder that the virus’s threat is far from over.
In light of BA.3.2’s rapid evolution and immune escape potential, experts stress the need for robust surveillance and flexible strategies. “Robust surveillance data will continue to guide CDC’s preparedness, ensure timely responses to emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants, and guide decision-making on COVID-19 vaccine composition updates,” the CDC report’s authors concluded.
As the world enters its seventh year of grappling with COVID-19, the appearance of BA.3.2—Cicada—serves as a stark reminder that vigilance, adaptability, and scientific rigor remain essential tools in the fight against a virus that refuses to stand still.