COVID Cicada Variant: Symptoms, Spread, and Key Facts

Health authorities are monitoring a highly mutated COVID-19 variant, officially designated as SARS-CoV-2 Variant BA.3.2 and informally nicknamed Cicada, which has been detected in at least 25 U.S. States.

The variant is a mutation of the Omicron BA.1 strain. It earned the nickname Cicada because it exhibits a pattern of disappearing and then re-emerging months later, similar to the behavior of the insects.

CDC Detection and Surveillance

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified the BA.3.2 variant through a variety of monitoring systems. In early February 2026, the agency detected the strain in 132 wastewater samples across 25 states.

Additional detections during that same period included nasal swabs from four travelers, three airplane wastewater samples, and clinical samples from five patients.

The CDC is currently evaluating the variant to determine its transmissibility, its clinical impact regarding the severity of illness, and its level of immune evasion, specifically whether it can bypass protection provided by previous infections or vaccinations.

Symptoms and Patient Impact

Medical experts have identified fever and fatigue as the main symptoms associated with the Cicada variant.

Dr. Karen Acker, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky Children’s Hospital, has noted that the variant appears to be more prevalent in children than in adults. However, she stated that it remains unclear if children are more susceptible to the infection than adults.

Despite the prevalence in younger populations, Dr. Acker indicated that children are not being hospitalized with severe infections resulting from this variant.

Epidemiological Context and Challenges

While the term Cicada is widely used, Dr. Eve Elizabeth Pennie, a physician and epidemiologist at Drugwatch, clarified that it is an informal name and is not an official designation from the World Health Organization (WHO) or the CDC.

Current data suggests that BA.3.2 behaves similarly to other recent Omicron strains. Dr. Pennie noted that the variant possesses mutations that may enable some immune escape, which could make individuals more likely to become infected.

Tracking the real-time progression of the variant remains a challenge. Dr. Tyler Evans, an infectious disease specialist and CEO of Wellness Equity Alliance, warned that the United States lacks a national system for tracking symptoms in real time.

Clinicians on the ground are not reporting new clinical patterns yet, but that silence is not the same as a signal of safety.

Dr. Tyler Evans

Health professionals continue to emphasize the importance of staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations to remain protected against evolving subvariants like BA.3.2.