New COVID variant ‘Cicada’ spreads across US: Full list of affected states, key symptoms and what to know

A new variant of COVID-19, BA.3.2 or Cicada is currently spreading in the United States. A heavily mutated variant is able to evade immunity from vaccines. While it emerged a year ago, cases of the variant have gradually increased in numerous countries across the globe.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of early April 2026, the variant has spread to more than half of the American states. The variant was named 'Cicada' by T. Ryan Gregory, Ph.D., a professor of evolutionary biology at the University of Guelph who also coined the names for other strains including 'stratus' and 'pirola'.What concerns experts is that it has numerous genetic changes in its spike protein, which sets it apart from other variants, according to Andrew Pekosz, PhD, a virologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. “It has a lot of mutations that may cause it to look different to your immune system,” said Pekosz to TODAY.com.These changes thus have the potential to reduce protection from a previous vaccination or infection, according to a study published in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.The variant was first identified in November 2024 in South Africa. It is a descendant of BA.3, an Omicron subvariant that emerged in 2022 and briefly co-circulated with BA.1 and BA.2, per the CDC.BA.3 fizzled out but never disappeared, and over the course of two years, it mutated to produce BA.3.2. While the strain existed previously, it was overshadowed by largely spread and more dangerous variants like nimbus and XFG. It was only in September 2025, that its cases began to take off.Will it cause more severe illness? No. Dr Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, director of the Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute at Mt. Sinai, said there's no evidence that BA.3.2 is causing more severe disease or hospitalisations in countries where it's widespread.While it can cause problems, it's not a "more problematic" strain than previous ones, he said to the outlet.While it has globally spread to 33 countries, most of the cases of the strain are in Australia, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands, as per the CDC. In the US, it is currently active in 31 states:The symptoms of the variant are similar to those caused by other variants, experts noted. As per the CDC, common symptoms include:It is important to note that these symptoms also match those of influenza and respiratory syncytial virus which are still circulating. Thus, testing is vital for correct diagnosis and treatment.According to experts, the protein spike in BA.3.2 suggests a possible need for vaccine reformulation, as the mutations may affect how well the current vaccine works."It's not completely clear how effective the current vaccine will be, but it likely still has some effectiveness," said Garcia-Sastre.In the meantime, experts advise looking out for symptoms, isolating when sick and wearing a mask in high-risk areas. Moreover, if you have not been vaccinated or infected with COVID in the last 6-12 months, talking to your doctor about the possible need for a booster is advisable.However, vaccination is vital for people at higher risk of severe disease from COVID-19 including adults over 65 and individuals with weakened immune systems or underlying conditions. "Vaccination is still going to help limit cases," said Pekosz. As the variant continues to spread, health experts stress that vigilance, timely testing, and updated vaccinations remain the best defence against potential surges.