General · 30 March 2026
Highly mutated Cicada Covid variant spreading to 23 countries
The new Cicada Covid variant is spreading across 23 countries, prompting worry it might partially bypass vaccines. Its official name is BA.3.2, a highly mutated strain that emerged from South Africa in November 2024 and circulated widely by September 2025. It doesn't seem to cause new symptoms or worsen illness, but was found in nine US patients and travellers by February 11.
Reported by The Mirror · How we write briefs