A newly designated Covid-19 variant known as BA.3.2, nicknamed Cicada, is spreading across at least 23 countries after first being identified in South Africa in November 2024. The variant expanded more widely beginning in September 2025 and has become particularly prevalent in Northern Europe, accounting for about 30 percent of cases in countries including Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands.

Scientists say BA.3.2 carries roughly 70 to 75 genetic changes in its spike protein compared with other recent lineages. These mutations may help the virus spread more easily and reduce how well the immune system recognizes it after vaccination. However, there is currently no evidence that the variant causes more severe illness than strains circulating during the winter of 2025 to 2026.

Laboratory studies indicate that the updated 2025 to 2026 Covid-19 vaccines may be less effective at preventing infection from BA.3.2 because of its mutations. Even so, health experts stress that vaccination is still expected to provide stronger protection against severe disease than remaining unvaccinated. Although widespread immunity has lowered severe outcomes in recent years, hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and tens of thousands of deaths were still recorded in the United States during the 2024 to 2025 respiratory virus season.