BA.3.2 COVID-19 variant (Cicada) first identified in November 2024

Key facts

• The World Health Organization (WHO) has categorised the BA.3.2 COVID-19 variant as a variant under monitoring.
• The variant is nicknamed Cicada because it remained undetected for a long period before resurfacing, mirroring the behaviour of the insect.
• The BA.3.2 variant was first identified in November 2024 in a respiratory sample in South Africa.
• The variant is a descendant of the older BA.3 branch of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and is genetically distinct from the JN.1 lineage.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has detected the variant in wastewater samples in at least 25 states in the United States.
• The variant features approximately 70–75 mutations in its spike protein, which is the component that allows the virus to enter human cells.