The COVID-19 Cicada Variant Is Back — And It’s Already in 25 States

Uncomfortably, there’s something almost poetic about a virus strain being given the moniker “Cicada.” The insect waits for years underground, unseen. Then, without much notice, it appears in huge numbers, creating an unavoidable noise. The COVID-19 variant BA.3.2, which is currently spreading to at least 25 states in the United States and 23 other countries, appears to have taken that playbook very literally. After being discovered in South Africa for the first time in November 2024, it moved silently, went unnoticed, and then surfaced with enough vigor last fall to alert the CDC and WHO. It’s difficult to ignore the pattern and wonder what precisely we stumbled back into.

The spike protein, which is the portion of the virus that attaches itself to human cells and is, importantly, the target of vaccines, has between 70 and 75 mutations in the Cicada COVID variant. That is a noteworthy figure. In contrast, Omicron itself surprised researchers with about 50 mutations in late 2021.

Quietly surpassing that, BA.3.2 has evolved into something that differs significantly from immune systems trained on previous strains or even more recent vaccines. Current COVID-19 vaccines are less effective against this specific strain, according to a study published in The Lancet. However, researchers quickly point out that the data is still preliminary and insufficient. The scientific community feels as though they are witnessing a familiar but slightly different scenario recur.

Cicada was far behind the predominant XFG strain, which is responsible for over half of current cases, as of mid-March, making up only roughly 3.7 percent of wastewater samples collected nationwide. However, that figure is shifting. Cicada has already claimed a significantly higher percentage of infections in some regions of Europe. It accounts for almost 30% of cases in some areas. The unsettling aspect is the uncertainty surrounding whether the United States will actually follow that trajectory. In a straightforward statement to CBS News, Dr. William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University stated, “Whether it will push itself to the front of the line remains to be seen.” A seasoned infectious disease specialist’s measured hedging is valuable.

According to Dr. Robert Hopkins Jr., medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, the variant initially surfaced in a visitor arriving in the US in June 2025. January of this year saw the confirmation of the first domestic case. Since then, Cicada has been detected in wastewater monitoring samples from 132 sites in at least 25 states, including both interior and coastal areas. The spread appears to be more widespread than confirmed cases alone would suggest, according to wastewater surveillance—possibly the most accurate indicator of a virus’s actual location as opposed to where testing indicates it is. Usually, it is.

For the time being, the symptoms seem familiar: headache, runny nose, fever or chills, sore throat, exhaustion, cough, and occasionally altered taste or smell. An unusually severe sore throat, sometimes described as feeling like swallowing razor blades, has been reported by some patients and has become somewhat of an informal identifier among those who compare notes online. However, there is currently no proof that Cicada is causing more severe illness than earlier Omicron descendants. Hospitalizations and ER visits are on the decline rather than the rise nationwide. That’s something to cling to while keeping an open mind about the fact that variant behavior can change.

The timing is one of the things that makes this specific moment challenging. Flu B is still in circulation. In some regions of the nation, RSV is still high. It’s allergy season. Cicada is currently spreading throughout a populace that is already unsure of the precise cause of their illness.

When Geeta Sood, an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, told NBC News that it’s impossible to determine what someone has based solely on what’s circulating, she was refreshingly direct. Without a test, you’re basically speculating because COVID, influenza, and RSV can cause almost the same symptoms. Although it’s not a brand-new issue, Cicada makes it seem a bit more urgent.

The degree to which this variant may evade immune defenses developed over years of vaccination and infection is what appears to be truly novel and deserving of attention. Virologist Andrew Pekosz of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has observed that BA has undergone numerous changes.3.2 differs from what has been circulating due to its spike protein. The existing vaccines were designed to combat various strains.

Although their ability to completely prevent infection appears to be diminished here, they still seem to lower the risk of serious illness, which is crucial. Hopkins succinctly stated that the mutations make it “less likely that the current vaccines will be highly effective against Cicada,” emphasizing the need for additional information before making definitive judgments.

If they haven’t already, health officials advise anyone in a high-risk group—those over 65, those with heart disease, lung disorders, diabetes, or weakened immune systems—to get vaccinated. Dr. Schaffner went on to say that timing is also important: taking a dose in late May or early June could offer significant protection before what some experts believe may be a summer surge. There has previously been an increase in COVID cases during the summer. Nobody is yet able to determine whether Cicada speeds it up or just follows current trends.

There’s a familiar tension as this develops, the same tension that developed in the early stages of the pandemic when scientists were attempting to determine how concerned to be while the public either panicked or completely ignored the situation. Cicada doesn’t seem to be a cause for concern. However, dismissal appears to be just as unjustified.

The virus continues to evolve and find new ways to evade immune systems that believe they have identified it. There is less room for error than there was a few years ago due to low vaccination rates and diminished public health infrastructure. By summer, Cicada might take over as the predominant strain. It’s also possible that it peaks and then recedes before that. In any case, it’s already here and important to be aware of.