Trending Now - Emerging COVID Variant Spreads to 25 States, CDC Warns
WHO:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Dr. Mahsa Tehrani, health expert featured on Fox News
Angela Rasmussen, virologist at the University of Saskatchewan
WHAT:
The BA.3.2 variant has been detected in hospitalized patients in December 2025 and January 2026 in three unidentified U.S. states.
The hospitalized patients included two older adults with additional health conditions and a young child who received outpatient care; all patients survived.
The prevalence of BA.3.2 in U.S. sequences collected between December 1, 2025, and March 12, 2026, was reported to be 0.55%.
The BA.3.2 variant has been nicknamed "Cicada" due to its long period of dormancy before emerging.
The BA.3.2 variant has been detected in nasal swabs from four travelers and clinical samples from five patients in four unidentified states.
The variant has been found in three airplane wastewater samples and 132 wastewater samples taken in more than 20 states.
The BA.3.2 variant accounts for 30% of samples taken in Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands between November 2025 and January 2026.
In 2026, there have been more than 3,500 deaths in the United States where COVID-19 was either the underlying cause or a contributing factor.
A new COVID-19 variant, BA.3.2, is spreading across the U.S. and has been detected in 25 states.
The BA.3.2 variant has been reported in 23 countries as of February 11, 2026.
The variant has approximately 70 to 75 changes in its spike protein.
BA.3.2 was first confirmed in the U.S. in June 2025 in a traveler from the Netherlands.
Weekly detections of BA.3.2 rose to about 30% of cases identified in Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands from November 2025 to January 2026.
The variant has been detected in nasal swabs from four U.S. travelers and clinical samples from five patients.
The variant has been found in three airplane wastewater samples and 132 wastewater samples from 25 states.
There have been more than 3,600 COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. so far in 2026.
WHERE:
The BA.3.2 variant has been detected in the following states: California, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Wyoming, Louisiana, Michigan, and Ohio.
WHEN:
The BA.3.2 variant started rising in September 2025.
The variant was first detected in South Africa in 2024.
The variant was first confirmed in the U.S. in June 2025.
The CDC report was published in February 2026.
WHY:
The CDC stated that the BA.3.2 variant has shown "immune escape characteristics," which may help it partially evade existing immunity from vaccines or prior infections.
The BA.3.2 variant has shown "immune escape characteristics," which may help it partially evade existing immunity from vaccines or prior infections.
HOW:
The CDC researchers noted that ongoing genomic surveillance is needed to monitor the virus’ evolution and assess its potential impact on public health.
The CDC report indicates that the BA.3.2 strain efficiently evades antibodies, likely due to spike protein mutations, highlighting the need for ongoing genomic surveillance and observational evaluations of vaccine and antiviral effectiveness.
The CDC is tracking the BA.3.2 variant through its Traveler-Based Genomic Surveillance program.
Ongoing genomic surveillance is needed to monitor the virus’ evolution and assess its potential impact on public health.
(UPDATED March 26, 2026 15:20 UTC)
The BA.3.2 variant has been detected in hospitalized patients in three unidentified U.S. states, with cases reported in December 2025 and January 2026, including two older adults with health conditions and a young child who received outpatient care, all of whom survived. The CDC has indicated that this variant exhibits "immune escape characteristics," potentially allowing it to partially evade immunity from vaccines or prior infections, and its prevalence in U.S. sequences collected from December 1, 2025, to March 12, 2026, stands at 0.55%. Researchers from the CDC emphasize the need for ongoing genomic surveillance to monitor the virus's evolution and assess its potential impact on public health.
--
(UPDATED March 26, 2026 11:17 UTC)
The BA.3.2 variant, nicknamed "Cicada" for its long dormancy before emerging, has been detected in nasal swabs from four travelers and clinical samples from five patients across four unidentified states. Additionally, this variant has been found in three airplane wastewater samples and 132 wastewater samples collected from more than 20 states, accounting for 30% of samples taken in Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands between November 2025 and January 2026. A recent CDC report highlights that the BA.3.2 strain can evade antibodies due to mutations in its spike protein, underscoring the importance of continued genomic surveillance and evaluations of vaccine and antiviral effectiveness, as the U.S. has seen over 3,500 deaths related to COVID-19 in 2026.
--
(UPDATED March 26, 2026 00:31 UTC)
A new COVID-19 variant known as BA.3.2 is spreading across the U.S., having been detected in 25 states and reported in 23 countries as of February 11, 2026. This variant, which has approximately 70 to 75 changes in its spike protein, was first confirmed in the U.S. in June 2025 and has shown characteristics that may allow it to partially evade immunity from vaccines or prior infections. The CDC is actively tracking BA.3.2 through its Traveler-Based Genomic Surveillance program, emphasizing the need for ongoing monitoring to understand the virus's evolution and its potential impact on public health.