A new variant of COVID-19 known as Cicada is spreading in the United States and globally, drawing the attention of public health officials.
The variant, BA.3.2, has been detected in at least 25 US states since February, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The disease has also been identified in more than 20 countries and is becoming increasingly common in parts of Europe.
Experts say the variant stands out because of the number of mutations it carries, especially in the spike protein.
“It has a lot of mutations that can make it look different from your immune system,” Andrew Pekosz, a virologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told TODAY.com.
The changes may reduce protection against previous infections or vaccination, according to findings published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Despite this, early evidence suggests the variant does not cause more severe disease.
“There is no evidence that BA.3.2 causes more severe illness or hospitalizations in countries where it is more common,” Dr. Adolfo García Sastre to TODAY.com.
The strain was first identified in South Africa in late 2024 and has since evolved with dozens of mutations.
It has been classified as a ‘variant under monitoring’ by the World Health Organization.
