A COVID variant called "Cicada" is on the rise. Here's what to know.
The COVID-19 variant BA.3.2, nicknamed "Cicada," has been detected in at least 23 countries and half the states in the U.S.
"Cicada" is trending, but not because it's the season for the noisy insects to appear. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization are both monitoring a COVID-19 variant called BA.3.2, which is nicknamed "Cicada."
BA.3.2 was first identified in November 2024 and has since spread to at least 23 countries. It's also been detected in at least 25 states in the U.S. as of February, according to the CDC .
But while the variant is spreading here, it's not the dominant strain.
"Whether it will push itself to the front of the line remains to be seen," Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University, told CBS News "We'll have to wait and see."
The variant is a member of the Omicron family and is highly mutated, with 70 to 75 mutations. A recent study in the journal Lancet found the current COVID-19 vaccine is less effective against BA.3.2 compared to the current dominant strains, although it does provide some protection.
"These are still early days, " Schaffner said. "But at the moment the conclusion seems to be there is this capacity for this new variant to evade some of the protections we have all acquired over the years."