A COVID-19 variant that has remained “underground” for years is catching the attention of health officials in the United States and abroad.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a March 19 report that it was tracking variant BA.3.2, nicknamed “Cicada,” after routine surveillance noted a steady incline in U.S. cases.
The World Health Organization (WHO) likewise listed the “highly mutated” virus on its Feb. 23 “variants of monitoring” record as more detections crop up in various countries, including Japan, Kenya, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
While the variant has yet to account for a significant number of cases in the United States, it has been reported in more than 20 countries, accounting for up to 30% of cases in some, according to the CDC.
“Monitoring the spread of BA.3.2 provides valuable information about the potential for this new SARS-CoV-2 lineage to evade immunity from a previous infection or vaccination,” said the CDC report.