Trending Now - New COVID Variant 'cicada' Poses Increased Risk for Children
WHO:
ABC7 Los Angeles - The new COVID variant is named "Cicada."
CNN - Dr. Alex Greninger is the head of the Division of Infectious Disease Diagnostics at the University of Washington’s Department of Laboratory Medicine.
CNN - Dr. Tulio de Oliveira directs the Center for Epidemic Response and Innovation, affiliated with Stellenbosch University in South Africa.
CNN - Dr. T. Ryan Gregory is an evolutionary biologist at the University of Guelph in Canada.
CNN - Dr. Florian Krammer is a virologist and professor of vaccinology at Mount Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine in New York.
CNN - Dr. Marc Johnson is a professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at the University of Missouri School of Medicine.
WHAT:
CNN - The variant BA.3.2 was first picked up in the US in the summer of 2025, in a traveler from the Netherlands.
CNN - In January 2026, the first clinical sample from a sick patient confirmed to be BA.3.2 was identified.
CNN - In Germany, BA.3.2 accounted for an estimated 30% of all new COVID-19 infections from November 2025 through January 2026, but is now showing signs of decline.
ABC7 Los Angeles - The "Cicada" variant has been found in the wastewater of 25 children and is primarily infecting children.
CNN - The variant BA.3.2, nicknamed "Cicada," has been spotted in 23 countries and in wastewater from 25 US states.
CNN - An analysis of data from New York City shows that children are about five times more likely to be infected by BA.3.2 compared to other variants.
CNN - BA.3.2 has 53 changes to its spike protein compared to BA.3 and roughly 70 mutations compared to the original coronavirus from 2019.
CNN - BA.3.2 was first detected in a nose swab of a 5-year-old boy in South Africa in November 2024.
WHERE:
ABC7 Los Angeles - The variant is spreading primarily among children in the United States.
CNN - The variant has been identified in wastewater from 25 US states and in 23 countries.
WHEN:
CNN - The variant BA.3.2 was first detected in November 2024.
CNN - The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a report on the variant in March 2026.
WHY:
CNN - Experts are studying the variant because it is breaking the pattern of primarily infecting older adults, which is unusual for COVID-19.
HOW:
CNN - BA.3.2 viruses are lacking parts of specific genes that play a role in activating the immune system, which may contribute to its increased prevalence among children.
CNN - The variant is believed to infect children more efficiently due to their waning immune protection from vaccines and past infections.
(UPDATED April 3, 2026 07:18 UTC)
The BA.3.2 variant of COVID-19 was first detected in the U.S. in the summer of 2025, originating from a traveler who had come from the Netherlands, with the first clinical sample from a patient confirmed in January 20th26. In Germany, this variant accounted for about 30% of all new infections from November 20th25 through January 20th26, although it is now showing signs of decline. Researchers have noted that BA.3.2 viruses are missing certain genes that help activate the immune system, which could explain its higher prevalence among children.
--
(UPDATED April 3, 2026 05:32 UTC)
The new COVID variant, named "Cicada," has been primarily infecting children and has been detected in wastewater from 25 states across the U.S. and in 23 countries. First identified in November 20th24 from a nose swab of a five-year-old boy in South Africa, this variant, officially known as BA.3.2, has shown significant mutations, making children about five times more likely to be infected compared to other variants. Experts are investigating this unusual trend, as it marks a shift from the typical pattern of COVID-19 infections that predominantly affected older adults.