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Rachel V Thomas

US CDC Warns Of New Immune-Evasive COVID Variant In 23 Countries

US CDC Warns Of New Immune-Evasive COVID Variant in 23 Countries

The <span>US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</span> (<span>CDC</span>) has raised concerns about a highly mutated variant of COVID-19 -- BA.3.2 -- which has been reported in at least 23 countries, including 25 states in America. 

The BA.3.2 variant was first identified in a respiratory sample in South Africa in November 2024. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated BA.3.2 as a <span>Variant Under Monitoring</span> (VUM). It does not boost immunity from previous infection or vaccination.

What makes the BA.3.2 variant special is the “70 to 75 substitutions and deletions in the gene sequence of its spike protein”, according to the CDC’s latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 

“BA.3.2 represents a new lineage of SARS-CoV-2, genetically distinct from the JN.1 lineages (including LP.8.1 and XFG) that have circulated in the US since January 2024,” said the CDC researchers.  

“BA.3.2 mutations in the spike protein have the potential to reduce protection from a previous infection or vaccination,” they added. 

BA.3.2 is a descendant of the <span>Omicron</span> BA.3 lineage. It is genetically distinct from the previously circulating JN.1 lineages (including LP.8.1 and XFG). 

BA.3.2 comprises two major branches, BA.3.2.1 and BA.3.2.2. BA.3.2.2 also has substitutions like: K356T, A575S, R681H, and R1162P, the CDC report said. 

The first BA.3.2 lineage sequence was detected in a respiratory sample collected on November 22, 2024, in South Africa from a boy aged 5 years.  

It was then identified in 2025, in Mozambique (March), the Netherlands (April), and Germany (April).  It began to increase in September 2025, with the highest number of detections reported during the week beginning December 7, 2025.  

As of February 11, 2026, BA.3.2 had been detected in at least 23 countries.

Between November 2025 and January 2026, the weekly BA.3.2 detections increased and reached approximately 30 percent of sequences reported in three European countries (Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands).  

The strain was detected in the US on June 27, 2025, through the CDC’s Traveler-Based Genomic Surveillance program in a participant traveling to the US from the Netherlands.  

The first US detection of BA.3.2 in a clinical specimen collected from a patient was reported on January 5, 2026. Since then, the CDC has detected the BA.3.2 variant from  

<ul><li>nasal swabs collected from 4 US travelers,  </li><li>clinical samples from 5 patients,  </li><li>3 airplane wastewater samples,  </li><li>132 wastewater surveillance samples from 25 states in the US.  </li><li>Till February 11, the strain has been prevalent among 2,579 total genetic sequences. </li></ul>

The CDC stressed the need for “continued genomic surveillance to track SARS-CoV-2 evolution and determine its potential effect on public health”. 

<h2>BA.3.2 A Variant Under Monitoring</h2>

According to the WHO, BA.3.2 demonstrates antigenic drift and reduced neutralization in vitro from previously infected or vaccinated individuals.

However, the global health body noted that currently approved COVID-19 vaccines are expected to continue providing protection against severe disease.

Despite immune evasion, phenotypic data suggest BA.3.2 has reduced infectivity. 

It shows resistance to some monoclonal antibodies (cilgavimab, bebtelovimab, sotrovimab) but increased sensitivity to tixagevimab-be, the WHO said.

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The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has raised concerns about a highly mutated variant of COVID-19 -- BA.3.2 -- which has been reported in at least 23 countries, including 25 states in America. The BA.3.2 variant was first identified in a respiratory sample in South Africa in November 2024. The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated BA.3.2 as a Variant Under Monitoring (VUM). It does not boost immunity from previous infection or vaccination. What makes the BA.3.2 variant special is the “70 to 75 substitutions and deletions in the gene sequence of its spike protein”, according to the CDC’s latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. “BA.3.2 represents a new lineage of SARS-CoV-2, genetically distinct from the JN.1 lineages (including LP.8.1 and XFG) that have circulated in the US since January 2024,” said the CDC researchers.  “BA.3.2 mutations in the spike protein have the potential to reduce protection from a previous infection or vaccination,” they added. What Is The BA.3.2 Variant?BA.3.2 is a descendant of the Omicron BA.3 lineage. It is genetically distinct from the previously circulating JN.1 lineages (including LP.8.1 and XFG).  BA.3.2 comprises two major branches, BA.3.2.1 and BA.3.2.2. BA.3.2.2 also has substitutions like: K356T, A575S, R681H, and R1162P, the CDC report said. The first BA.3.2 lineage sequence was detected in a respiratory sample collected on November 22, 2024, in South Africa from a boy aged 5 years.  It was then identified in 2025, in Mozambique (March), the Netherlands (April), and Germany (April).  It began to increase in September 2025, with the highest number of detections reported during the week beginning December 7, 2025.  As of February 11, 2026, BA.3.2 had been detected in at least 23 countries.  Between November 2025 and January 2026, the weekly BA.3.2 detections increased and reached approximately 30 percent of sequences reported in three European countries (Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands).   BA.3.2 In The US The strain was detected in the US on June 27, 2025, through the CDC’s Traveler-Based Genomic Surveillance program in a participant traveling to the US from the Netherlands.  The first US detection of BA.3.2 in a clinical specimen collected from a patient was reported on January 5, 2026. Since then, the CDC has detected the BA.3.2 variant from  nasal swabs collected from 4 US travelers,  clinical samples from 5 patients,  3 airplane wastewater samples,  132 wastewater surveillance samples from 25 states in the US.  Till February 11, the strain has been prevalent among 2,579 total genetic sequences. The CDC stressed the need for “continued genomic surveillance to track SARS-CoV-2 evolution and determine its potential effect on public health”.  BA.3.2 A Variant Under Monitoring According to the WHO, BA.3.2 demonstrates antigenic drift and reduced neutralization in vitro from previously infected or vaccinated individuals. However, the global health body noted that currently approved COVID-19 vaccines are expected to continue providing protection against severe disease. Despite immune evasion, phenotypic data suggest BA.3.2 has reduced infectivity. It shows resistance to some monoclonal antibodies (cilgavimab, bebtelovimab, sotrovimab) but increased sensitivity to tixagevimab-be, the WHO said.

ba.3.2 us cdc warns of new immune-evasive covid variant in 23 countries

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