A new Covid-19 variant is spreading rapidly in America. Its name is BA.3.2 and it is being called ‘Cicada Strain’. This variant was first detected in South Africa in November 2024. In June 2025, it reached America through a traveler.
Cicada is a kind of insect which remains hidden for a long time and then suddenly appears. Similarly, this variant was also less visible for a long time and now suddenly it started appearing in more cases. Therefore it has been named Cicada strain.
So far, this variant has been found in sewage water samples and tests of patients in 25 states of America. These states include California, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Wyoming.
The number of cases of the new variant may be even higher, because testing and genomic surveillance is low in many places. There is no evidence yet that this variant is causing more dangerous or serious disease than older variants.
What are the symptoms of the new Covid surge?
The symptoms of this variant are similar to common Covid symptoms. The special thing is that more people are experiencing severe pain in the throat. Rest are common symptoms.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says existing Covid vaccines and medicines can still help prevent serious disease. But in this variant, 70 to 75 mutations have been found in the spike protein, due to which it can dodge to some extent the old immunity created by earlier infection or vaccine.
Experts believe this variant could increase Covid cases in the summer and become the most common variant in the US, but this is not certain. It is still evolving and two sub-lineages have been found, BA.3.2.1 and BA.3.2.2.
This variant remains a subject of surveillance around the world. Scientists are constantly monitoring it so that preparations can be made before any new problem arises. Right now this variant is not considered very serious, but it is always good to be cautious.