What to Know About Cicada, the New COVID Variant
Quick Insights
The Bottom Line
COVID variant BA.3.2 (Cicada) has spread to 24+ U.S. states and accounts for roughly 30 percent of European infections.
How This Affects You
New variant with 70-75 spike protein mutations can evade existing vaccine immunity, though Omicron-targeted vaccines still provide partial protection against severe disease.
AI Summary
The COVID variant BA.3.2, nicknamed Cicada for its dormant-and-active pattern, first emerged in South Africa in late 2024 and has since resurfaced in more than two dozen U.S. states, accounting for roughly 30% of European infections recently. Scientists have identified 70 to 75 new mutations in Cicada's spike protein—more than dominant variants from 2023—though it remains part of the Omicron family, meaning existing Omicron-targeted vaccines still offer some protection, albeit reduced. Lab data from the CDC shows Cicada can evade vaccine-based immunity, and Dr. William Schaffner of Vanderbilt notes that hospitalized COVID patients are almost universally unvaccinated, suggesting the vaccine's primary role—preventing severe disease rather than infection—remains important. Cicada is not yet causing large numbers of U.S. infections, and its symptoms mirror previous variants, but determining whether it causes worse disease or will become dominant requires further study.
What's Being Done
CDC has conducted lab data analysis; public health monitoring continues to determine if variant causes worse disease or will become dominant.
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