You might have heard of a highly mutated new COVID variant that is making headlines. It’s a variant worth watching, but not worth panicking about — here’s what the science actually says, and what you can do to protect yourself.
BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front): “Cicada’, AKA BA.3.2 in science speak, is a variant to watch, and public health surveillance systems are doing their job by tracking it. But “worth monitoring” is not the same as “cause for alarm.” Right now, overall COVID activity in the U.S. is low, and there’s no signal of increased severity from this variant that we’ve seen yet.
🦗 You may have seen headlines about a new COVID variant with an unusual nickname – “Cicada.”It is named after the insect, as this variant spent a long time quietly lurking before surfacing more visibly, just like cicadas do! It’s now showing up in wastewater and clinical samples across the U.S. and beyond.
Here is what we actually know
Cicada’s official name is BA.3.2. It belongs to the Omicron family of SARS-CoV-2. This is the same broad family that’s been circulating since late 2021. What makes it stand out is its genetic blueprint – the set of instructions that tell the virus how to behave. The spike protein is the part of the virus that helps it enter human cells. BA.3.2 has lots of changes in its spike protein compared to the variants that the current 2025–26 vaccine was designed to target. It was first detected in South Africa back in November of 2024, and has been quietly spreading before making its way to the US, where it was first identified in June 2025. As of March ’26 it has now been detected in wastewater in 25 US states.
Wastewater surveillance is one of our best early-warning tools, because it picks up viral spread in a community before people are showing up at clinics and hospitals. You can check out the CDC’s wastewater scan dashboards here.
🤓 Nerd Alert – spike proteins
Cicada has about 70-75 changes in its spike protein. That’s roughly double the number of spike mutations (also known as changes to the virus blueprint) seen in recent Omicron descendants. More mutations don’t automatically mean it’s more dangerous, but it does mean our immune systems may not recognize it as easily. This may mean we are more likely to get sick, so scientists are keeping a close eye on it.
What does that mean for me? Should I be worried?
There is no need to be alarmed, but being aware of this is a good thing. “Cicada” does have mutations that may make it easier for it to evade the protection you may have from previous vaccination or infection. This means some people who’ve had COVID or been vaccinated may still get sick. But immune evasion is not the same as causing more severe disease.
The WHO’s current assessment is that BA.3.2 poses “low additional public health risk,”with no evidence of increased severity, hospitalizations, or deaths. Symptoms appear to be similar to those of other recent COVID variants: cough, fever, fatigue, sore throat, and congestion. In addition, BA.3.2 has not been able to spread much better than other currently circulating variants. If it did, it would have likely dominated globally by now, which it hasn’t.
Here are some ways you can protect yourself and your loved ones:
💉 Get vaccinated: The mutations contained in BA.3.2 mean it’s not as good a match to the current COVID-19 vaccines, but we know that it will still help reduce severity and complications.
😷 Mask up: Masks are important tools to help reduce the risk of any infection that can spread through air, including COVID-19. Masking indoors and in crowded situations can lower your risk of infection.
🏠 Stay home when sick: If you have symptoms of an infectious disease, the best way to avoid spreading it to others is to stay home. We know this isn’t always possible for everyone, so masking can be another important tool to reduce the risk of you spreading it to others.
🧼Wash your hands: It’ll protect you, and it reduces the risk of you spreading any germs onto surfaces.
🌬️Ventilate your indoor spaces: Opening windows, using air purifiers, or choosing outdoor settings when possible can help reduce the concentration of airborne viruses indoors.
💊 Antivirals: There are antivirals for COVID-19. You can speak with your clinician to see if they’re a good fit for you. Just know that to work, antivirals must be taken early during an infection.
Stay well. Stay safe. Stay nerdy.
Sources:
CDC – Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
CDC – National Wastewater Monitoring Program
CDC – COVID-19 variants wastewater dashboard
WHO – WHO TAG-VE Risk Evaluation for SARS-CoV-2 Variant Under Monitoring: BA.3.2
GAVI – 8 things you need to know about the BA.3.2 ‘Cicada’ variant of COVID-19
