A newly tracked COVID-19 variant known as BA.3.2, or Cicada, is drawing global attention after being detected across 23 countries, with health authorities also monitoring its spread in the United States.
The variant was first identified in South Africa in November 2024, but it has gradually expanded across multiple regions, including Europe, North America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. Its growing footprint has raised concern because of the unusually high number of mutations found in its spike protein.
According to the latest health data, BA.3.2 carries around 70 to 75 spike protein mutations, making it significantly different from earlier strains targeted by recent COVID vaccines. Experts say these genetic changes could help the variant partially dodge immunity built through prior infection or vaccination, which is why it is being watched closely.
In the US, the variant was first picked up in June 2025 in a traveler arriving from the Netherlands. Since then, it has appeared in traveler screening, clinical samples, aircraft wastewater, and community wastewater testing across multiple states. Even so, it still makes up only a very small share of sequenced COVID cases in the country.
So far, there is no clear evidence that Cicada causes more severe illness than other currently circulating variants. However, researchers say its ability to evade antibodies in laboratory testing means continued surveillance remains important, especially if its share of infections starts to rise in more countries.
The countries and territories where the variant has been reported include:
- South Africa
- Mozambique
- Kenya
- Denmark
- Germany
- The Netherlands
- England
- Belgium
- Czechia
- France
- Ireland
- Italy
- Luxembourg
- Norway
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- USA
- Canada
- Japan
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Hong Kong
- New Zealand
Health experts say the immediate concern is not panic, but monitoring. While BA.3.2 has not been linked to a major global surge so far, its genetic profile makes it one of the more closely watched COVID variants at the moment.
COVID-19 is no longer causing the same level of disruption seen in the early pandemic years, but it continues to lead to significant hospitalizations and deaths each season.
That is why officials are continuing to track new variants like Cicada to see whether they change the broader risk picture in the months ahead.
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Alhamdolillah, it will kill the actual terrorist and their families, Insha Allah.
Sher . Kindly open a biology book once in your life. The one from o level or a level. Or talk to any virologist, not a doctor
Virus evolve and mutate. Nothing new. We have vaccination for a reason.