The new “Cicada” variant identified in more than half of U.S. states may be more likely to infect children than adults, CNN reported April 2.
The variant, BA.3.2, earned its nickname because it has largely remained undetected or “underground” — like its insect namesake — since first discovered in a five-year-old boy in South Africa in November 2024.
Four updates:
1. Early research from South Africa suggests the variant is most effective at infecting children between ages 3 and 15, though the reason for this trend is still unclear. A separate analysis of data from New York City shows children are about five times more likely to contract BA.3.2 compared to other strains, according to the report.
2. One theory is that children’s immune protection from vaccines and past infections fade faster than adults, according to Tulio de Oliveira, PhD, director of the Center for Epidemic Response and Innovation in Stellenbosch, South Africa. The trend could also be attributed to the variant’s genetic make up or the fact that children may have fewer past exposures to COVID-19 than adults, experts told CNN.
3. As of Feb. 11, the subvariant had been identified in wastewater from 25 states. The virus appears to be spreading across the U.S. at low levels, though decreased national virus testing may cloud this picture. Despite its mutations, the variant has not driven major waves or become globally dominant. Experts have said the variant could become dominant in the U.S. and potentially fuel a summer COVID-19 surge, though there is still a high level of uncertainty, according to USA Today.
“I think there is a very good chance BA.3.2 will become the dominant variant, but it certainly isn’t a sweeping variant like many we’ve seen before,” Marc Johnson, PhD, a professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at the University of Missouri School of Medicine, told CNN. “I think if BA.3.2 were a mutation away from being a more aggressive variant, it would have found it by now.”
4. The variant does not appear to cause more severe illness, and symptoms largely mirror those of other variants, including sore throat, stuffy nose, headache and fatigue. BA.3.2 has significant spike protein mutations that help it evade antibodies, and lab data shows current vaccines have reduced neutralization against it. However, real-world effectiveness is still unclear, and current COVID-19 vaccines are expected to protect against dominant strains.
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