Cicada Variant Spreads Globally as Experts Assess Immune Escape Risks from Heavily Mutated Strain (BA.3.2)
A newly mutated SARS-CoV-2 variant nicknamed "Cicada" has been detected circulating across the United States alongside at least twenty-one other countries. This strain is identified as BA.3.2, which health officials warn possesses a hyper-mutated profile that may enhance its ability to evade immunity from prior vaccination or infection.
Key Points
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1A new COVID-19 strain named 'Cicada' (officially BA.3.2) has been detected in Massachusetts and is spreading across at least the US, several other countries.
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2The variant carries approximately 75 mutations but currently shows no evidence of causing increased severity compared to previous strains or vaccines prior infection immunity escape risks are not confirmed yet
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3Health officials remain under close watch as case counts begin a steady increase in both domestic and international settings.
Developments
The 'Cicada' variant (BA.3.2), an Omicron subvariant with numerous mutations on its spike protein that may help it evade immunity but does not currently cause more serious illness than other strains, has been detected in at least 24 countries including the United States and parts of Europe as health agencies monitor closely without classifying it a variant of concern.
Health officials are tracking Variant BA.3.x (nicknamed "Cicada") as a dormant strain that has recently caused steady case increases in the U.S., 20 other countries, and globally since its first reported South African cases were identified by November 2024; however, Canadian health authorities have not yet issued public statements regarding this variant's detection.
The BA.3.2 COVID-19 "cicada" variant has spread to over two dozen US states globally without causing increased severe illness despite having 70–75 mutations in its spike protein; it was first detected at San Francisco International Airport and is now responsible for roughly one-third of cases in certain European nations, though overall case numbers remain low.
The BA.3.2 "Cicada" Covid-19 variant, first detected in South Africa during late 2024 and spreading across half of the US plus over two dozen other countries since early 2025, carries approximately 75 mutations including several changes to its spike protein that enhance immune escape capabilities compared to previous variants.