Covid “Cicada”

As of April 2026, a highly mutated COVID-19 variant, BA.3.2, nicknamed “Cicada,” is spreading in the US and Europe, exhibiting potential for immune escape due to 70–75 spike protein mutations. While detected in wastewater across dozens of US states and in Europe, it does not currently appear to cause more severe disease than previous Omicron strains. The “Cicada” nickname comes from the variant first being detected last year in Northern Europe, then disappearing, and then re-emerging this year with more mutations and a wider distribution. Let’s hope that naming virus variants after insects is not a growing trend.

Despite all the new mutations, the current recommendation is that the 2025-26 COVID vaccine should provide some protection against severe disease or death. BA.3.2 infection rates are currently low, but past Omicron variants have caused waves of infections in the summer. For older adults, where vaccine protection virtually disappears after 6 months, another booster is recommended.

If BA.3.2 Cicada becomes the dominant variant this summer, it would be prudent to develop a new mRNA vaccine that matches the spike protein sequence used by the virus to infect human cells. Whether that will happen under the restrictions imposed by the current administration is an open question.