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COVID-19 Cicada Variant: Will It Become The Dominant Strain In The US? Know All About The Virus

Rachel x HnM (95)

The COVID-19 BA.3.2 strain, nicknamed Cicada Variant, is spreading rapidly in the US, raising the possibility of becoming the dominant strain in the country, according to experts.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in its latest report, has raised concerns about BA.3.2 — a highly mutated variant of COVID.

BA.3.2 has already been reported in at least 23 countries, including 25 states in America, as per the report. It has also been detected in 132 wastewater samples from Massachusetts. 

The 25 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. 

"Cicada can become the dominant strain in the US,” Dr. Robert H. Hopkins Jr., medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, told USA TODAY.

While it is not certain, it can also "drive a US summer surge.”

The CDC warned that a new variant "with substantial capacity to evade immunity from previous infections or vaccines could be associated with seasonal increases in COVID-19 activity.” 

In the US, COVID-19 is still linked to roughly 300 to 500 deaths per week, according to recent data based on provisional estimates from the CDC. 

Brandon Dionne, an associate clinical professor of pharmacy and health systems sciences at Northeastern University, stated that the virus may evolve and increase the possibility of more severe disease.

“It’s something we definitely want to monitor,” Dionne said. “It could, over time, become the dominant strain in the US, but it’s not yet there," he said.

Also read: <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/covid-variant-ba-3-2-spreads-to-23-countries-is-the-variant-under-monitoring-a-cause-of-worry-article-153924347" data-type="tilCustomLink">COVID Variant BA.3.2 Spreads To 23 Countries: Is The Variant Under Monitoring A Cause Of Worry?</a>

What Is The Cicada COVID Variant?

Cicada was first identified in a respiratory sample in South Africa in November 2024.

It is a descendant of the Omicron BA.3 lineage, and 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 World Health Organization (WHO) has designated BA.3.2 as a Variant Under Monitoring (VUM). It means the variant may not be that dangerous yet, but it may have concerning mutations.

The CDC’s latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report explains that Cicada has “70 to 75 substitutions and deletions in the gene sequence of its spike protein”.

Also read: <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-wellness/maternal-vaccination-during-pregnancy-can-prevent-covid-related-hospitalization-in-babies-study-article-153935157" data-type="tilCustomLink">Maternal Vaccination During Pregnancy Can Prevent COVID-related Hospitalization In Babies: Study</a>

<h2>Will Current COVID Vaccines Work? </h2>

The variant is particularly concerning as it provides no immune protection to people with previous infection or even vaccination.

“The number of mutations from JN.1 viruses makes it less likely that the current vaccines will be highly effective against Cicada, but we need more data to better answer this question,” Dr. Hopkins Jr. said.

However, according to the WHO, current COVID vaccines are expected to continue protecting against severe disease. Moreover, the WHO said BA.3.2 doesn’t seem to be making people sicker so far and hasn’t resulted in increased hospitalizations and deaths.

Common symptoms of Cicada variant include:<ul><li>Cough </li><li>Fever or chills </li><li>Sore throat </li><li>Congestion </li><li>Shortness of breath </li><li>Loss of smell or taste </li><li>Fatigue </li><li>Headache.</li></ul>

Health Conditions A-Z

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BA 3 2

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cicada

omicron

covid 19

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The COVID-19 BA.3.2 strain, nicknamed Cicada Variant, is spreading rapidly in the US, raising the possibility of becoming the dominant strain in the country, according to experts. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in its latest report, has raised concerns about BA.3.2 — a highly mutated variant of COVID.  BA.3.2 has already been reported in at least 23 countries, including 25 states in America, as per the report. It has also been detected in 132 wastewater samples from Massachusetts.  The 25 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.  "Cicada can become the dominant strain in the US,” Dr. Robert H. Hopkins Jr., medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, told USA TODAY.  While it is not certain, it can also "drive a US summer surge.”          View this post on Instagram            A post shared by HealthAndMe (@healthandmedotcom)]]>  The CDC warned that a new variant "with substantial capacity to evade immunity from previous infections or vaccines could be associated with seasonal increases in COVID-19 activity.”  In the US, COVID-19 is still linked to roughly 300 to 500 deaths per week, according to recent data based on provisional estimates from the CDC.  Brandon Dionne, an associate clinical professor of pharmacy and health systems sciences at Northeastern University, stated that the virus may evolve and increase the possibility of more severe disease. “It’s something we definitely want to monitor,” Dionne said. “It could, over time, become the dominant strain in the US, but it’s not yet there," he said. Also read: COVID Variant BA.3.2 Spreads To 23 Countries: Is The Variant Under Monitoring A Cause Of Worry?What Is The Cicada COVID Variant? Cicada was first identified in a respiratory sample in South Africa in November 2024. It is a descendant of the Omicron BA.3 lineage, and 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 World Health Organization (WHO) has designated BA.3.2 as a Variant Under Monitoring (VUM). It means the variant may not be that dangerous yet, but it may have concerning mutations. The CDC’s latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report explains that Cicada has “70 to 75 substitutions and deletions in the gene sequence of its spike protein”.Also read: Maternal Vaccination During Pregnancy Can Prevent COVID-related Hospitalization In Babies: Study Will Current COVID Vaccines Work? The variant is particularly concerning as it provides no immune protection to people with previous infection or even vaccination. “The number of mutations from JN.1 viruses makes it less likely that the current vaccines will be highly effective against Cicada, but we need more data to better answer this question,” Dr. Hopkins Jr. said.However, according to the WHO, current COVID vaccines are expected to continue protecting against severe disease. Moreover, the WHO said BA.3.2 doesn’t seem to be making people sicker so far and hasn’t resulted in increased hospitalizations and deaths.Common symptoms of Cicada variant include:Cough Fever or chills Sore throat Congestion Shortness of breath Loss of smell or taste Fatigue Headache.