New COVID 'Cicada' Variant Is Spreading — What Experts Want You To Know

FRIDAY, March 27, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Another new COVID variant is starting to spread.

Health officials say the variant — known as BA.3.2 or "Cicada" — has been quietly circulating for years but is now being detected more often in the United States and around the world.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a March 19 report that cases are slowly increasing. The World Health Organization (WHO) has also added Cicada to its “variants of monitoring” list as it pops up in more countries, USA Today reported.

So far, BA.3.2 has been found in more than 20 countries. In some places, it makes up as much as 30% of cases.