New Covid Variant "Cicada" (BA.3.2) Confirmed in 25+ US States as it Spreads Across 20+ Countries

The BA.3.2 SARS-CoV-2 subvariant has been confirmed in the United States, according to genomic surveillance data published by the CDC. The detection comes several months after the variant was first identified in East Asia, and as sequence data from more than 20 countries now confirms its presence across multiple continents.

BA.3.2 — referred to informally in some media coverage as "Cicada" — remains classified by the World Health Organization as a variant under monitoring, the lowest of three monitoring tiers. No health authority has classified it as a variant of concern.

What the US data shows

CDC respiratory virus surveillance data shows BA.3.2 present in approximately 2.8% of recent US sequence submissions over the past 60 days, with the most recent samples dated to early March 2026. The CDC notes that national clinical sequencing volumes have declined significantly since 2023, which limits the precision of this estimate.

BA32.org rates US data confidence as medium, with a sparse sequence data flag. Wastewater surveillance — which the CDC has maintained as a supplementary signal — has not yet produced a clear corroborating signal, though wastewater tracking for specific lineages lags behind clinical sequencing by several weeks.

Where was it detected first?

BA.3.2 was first identified in genomic surveillance data in early 2026. Initial confirmed detections came from East Asia, where sequencing programmes have maintained consistent submission rates. Japan, Hong Kong, and South Korea were among the earliest countries to report confirmed cases.

As of late March 2026, the countries with the highest BA.3.2 sequence share in recent submissions are Japan (6.1%), Hong Kong (5.8%), South Korea (5.3%), Denmark (5.1%), and India (5.7%). All five have moderate or high recent COVID-19 activity. These figures are based on the last 60 days of available sequence data and carry high confidence ratings for Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Denmark.

In Europe, detections have been confirmed in the UK (4.2%), Netherlands (3.8%), Switzerland (4.0%), Sweden (4.6%), Ireland (3.6%), Austria (3.4%), Belgium (3.3%), Germany (3.1%), France (2.0%), Spain (2.5%), and Italy (1.9%). Outside Asia and Europe, detections have also been confirmed in Australia (3.5%), Canada (2.2%), New Zealand (3.0%), Brazil (1.4%), and Israel (4.4%).

What is BA.3.2?

BA.3.2 is a subvariant of SARS-CoV-2 within the Omicron lineage. It was designated using the Pango lineage classification system, which is the standard scientific naming convention for coronavirus variants. The informal name "Cicada" is not used by the WHO, the CDC, or any national health authority — it originated in early press coverage.

The variant carries a set of mutations in its spike protein that differ from the Omicron subvariants that dominated circulation in 2024 and 2025. Health authorities have noted that these mutations may affect immune recognition, but no published data has yet established a meaningful difference in disease severity compared to other currently circulating strains.

WHO classification

The WHO classified BA.3.2 as a Variant Under Monitoring (VUM) on 20 March 2026. A VUM designation means the variant has genetic changes that could affect its behaviour, but there is no confirmed evidence of increased risk compared to circulating variants. This classification sits below Variant of Interest (VOI) and Variant of Concern (VOC), neither of which has been assigned.

The WHO has stated it is monitoring BA.3.2 as part of standard surveillance and will update its assessment as new data becomes available. No emergency committee has been convened and no specific public health measures have been recommended in connection with BA.3.2.

Reported symptoms

Reported symptoms from clinicians and public health agencies tracking BA.3.2 cases are consistent with other recent Omicron-lineage infections: sore throat, runny nose, fatigue, headache, and cough are the most commonly reported. Fever is reported less frequently than in earlier variants. Gastrointestinal symptoms and loss of taste or smell have been reported in a minority of cases.

No health authority has issued guidance suggesting BA.3.2 causes more severe illness than other currently circulating variants. People who are immunocompromised, elderly, or have significant underlying health conditions remain the groups most likely to experience serious illness from any COVID variant.

Why are some countries not in the data?

Several large countries — including China, Indonesia, Russia, and Mexico — have limited or no recent sequence data in international databases. This is a data gap, not evidence that BA.3.2 is absent from those countries. Global genomic surveillance has contracted significantly since 2023 as emergency-phase COVID funding wound down. Countries with the most consistent data are those that have maintained dedicated sequencing programmes — primarily in northern Europe and East Asia.

What to watch for

The data points that health authorities have said they are watching most closely are: whether BA.3.2 sequence share increases significantly above current levels (suggesting a growth advantage over co-circulating strains); whether hospitalisation rates in countries with early detections show an unusual increase; and whether vaccine effectiveness data from any country suggests reduced protection.

As of late March 2026, none of those signals has been reported. The available data shows BA.3.2 circulating at low levels across multiple countries with no clear severity signal. That picture may change as more sequence data becomes available and countries with limited current reporting begin updating their submissions.