U.S. Vulnerable to New COVID Variant ‘Cicada’: What You Need to Know

A COVID-19 variant that has stayed “underground” for years is now capturing the attention of health officials globally. Here is the latest information regarding the virus and updated health guidelines.

Vaccination Guidelines Update

You are due for another COVID-19 vaccine if you meet the following criteria:

• You received your last COVID-19 vaccination prior to November 2025.
• You are 65 years of age or older.
• You are immunocompromised.

What is the ‘Cicada’ Variant (BA.3.2)?

“Cicada” is the nickname given to BA.3.2, which is a highly mutated COVID-19 variant. According to Dr. Robert H. Hopkins, Jr., the medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, it earned this nickname after the rarely emerging insect because the virus remained largely undetected since its initial discovery.

Tracking the Spread:

• The very first worldwide case was detected in South Africa in November 2024.
• It was first detected in a traveler visiting the United States in June 2025.
• Global cases began increasing in September 2025.
• The first domestic patient case in the U.S. was diagnosed in January.
• Internationally, it has been reported in at least 23 countries.
• As of February 11, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) detected the variant in wastewater from 132 sites across at least 25 states.
• The variant has also been identified in voluntary nose swabs from travelers.

In a March 19 report, the CDC noted a steady incline in U.S. cases during routine surveillance. Similarly, the World Health Organization (WHO) added the highly mutated virus to its “variants of monitoring” record on February 23 due to emerging detections in countries such as Japan, Kenya, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

While the variant has not yet accounted for a massive number of cases in the U.S., it makes up to 30% of cases in some of the countries where it is present. For instance, Dr. Hopkins noted that as of January, Cicada accounted for about 30% of COVID-19 sequences in Germany and other Northern European countries like Denmark and the Netherlands.

Why Are Health Officials Concerned?

The CDC emphasizes that monitoring the spread of BA.3.2 provides highly valuable information regarding its potential to evade immunity from previous infections or vaccinations.

Dr. Hopkins warns that the variant’s high number of mutations from the JN.1 virus makes it less likely that current vaccines will be highly effective against it, though more data is needed to answer that fully. He added, “It is possible we will see Cicada become the dominant strain in the US, but that is by no means certain. I have heard some concern raised about the possibility that it could drive a US summer surge”.

He also cautioned that low vaccination rates, combined with little to no public health effort to curb infections, leave the population vulnerable.

Symptoms of the Cicada Variant

Currently, there is no data indicating that the Cicada variant is any more severe than other circulating strains. The CDC notes that the indicators to look out for remain identical to those of existing COVID-19 variants.

Symptoms may include:

• Runny or stuffy nose
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Sneezing
• Sore throat
• Coughing

Dr. Hopkins specifically noted that a severe sore throat is frequently reported as a common symptom alongside these other typical COVID-19 indicators.