The covid 19 cicada variant — BA. 3. 2, a heavily mutated descendant of BA. 3 — is now spreading in the United States, the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. As of Feb. 11 (ET), BA. 3. 2 has been detected in at least 25 states, and public health officials are monitoring its rise. Officials and virologists cite the variant’s large number of spike‑protein changes as the reason for heightened concern.
What scientists say about Covid 19 Cicada Variant
Andrew Pekosz, Ph. D., a virologist at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, described BA. 3. 2 as having “a lot of mutations that may cause it to look different to your immune system. ” Pekosz added that the changes ‘‘might be able to evade a lot of the immunity already in the population, ’’ highlighting the gap between the variant’s spike‑protein profile and the strains targeted by current vaccines. T. Ryan Gregory, Ph. D., a professor of evolutionary biology at the University of Guelph who gave BA. 3. 2 the nickname “cicada, ” said, “Like its namesake insect, BA. 3. 2 also spent its first few years ‘underground’ before re‑emerging. ” These expert statements frame a cautious response from public health agencies.
Spread, mutations and vaccine implications
BA. 3. 2 was first identified in November 2024 in South Africa and is a descendant of BA. 3, an omicron subvariant that emerged in 2022. The lineage later split into two subvariants, BA. 3. 2. 1 and BA. 3. 2. 2. Since 2024, BA. 3. 2 circulated quietly while other lineages dominated; it began to ramp up in multiple countries last fall and started taking off last September. The U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes BA. 3. 2 as a new lineage that is “genetically distinct” from more recent families of variants.
Genetically, BA. 3. 2 stands out: Pekosz noted the strain carries roughly 70–75 mutations in its spike protein, far more than many contemporaries. That spike profile separates BA. 3. 2 from JN. 1 and LP. 8. 1, the strains targeted by current COVID‑19 vaccines. A study published in the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report said the mutations have the potential to reduce protection from a previous infection or vaccination. Because of that profile, the World Health Organization classified BA. 3. 2 as a “variant under monitoring” in December 2025 (ET).
What’s next for the covid 19 cicada variant
Public health officials are closely tracking the covid 19 cicada variant and continuing genetic surveillance and epidemiologic monitoring. The immediate next developments to watch are state‑level case detections and updated findings on vaccine performance and immune escape from ongoing laboratory and field studies. The U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention along with international bodies will follow BA. 3. 2’s spread and genetic evolution, and researchers are focused on clarifying whether its mutations translate into measurable reductions in protection.
The picture remains data‑driven: investigators cite the variant’s long period of low visibility followed by recent growth as the reason for focused surveillance, and they urge clinicians and public health teams to watch for changes in case patterns and vaccine effectiveness in the coming weeks.
