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A new, highly mutated COVID variant called 'Cicada' is spreading in the U.S. Know these symptoms

Nbcwashington · · 1425 words · By Caroline Kee l TODAY
Public Health Surveillance Vaccine Efficacy Viral Mutation and Immunity
open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/health/new-covid-variant-cicada-spreading-in-…

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Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

16 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

check_circle Corroborated 7
schedule Pending 6
verified Verified By Reference 2
help Insufficient Evidence 1
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“BA.3.2, a heavily mutated new COVID-19 variant... is now spreading in the United States.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources, including Scientific American and other web search results, confirm that the BA.3.2 variant is spreading in the United States.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — BA.2.86 is a heavily-mutated Omicron subvariant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. BA.2.86 is notable for having more than thirty mutations on its spike protein relative to BA.2. The subva…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BA.2.86
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — BA.3.2 is a heavily mutated Omicron subvariant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The variant was descended from an ancestral version of Omicron Subvariant BA.3 that had not circulated sin…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BA.3.2
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Omicron (B.1.1.529) is a heavily mutated variant of SARS-CoV-2 first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the Network for Genomics Surveillance in South Africa on 24 November 2021. It wa…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SARS-CoV-2_Omicron_variant
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“BA.3.2, aka "cicada," emerged over a year ago”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm the nickname 'Cicada' and that it emerged in late 2024 (over a year ago relative to the 2026 dates mentioned in other evidence).
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — BA.2.86 is a heavily-mutated Omicron subvariant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. BA.2.86 is notable for having more than thirty mutations on its spike protein relative to BA.2. The subva…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BA.2.86
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — BA.3.2 is a heavily mutated Omicron subvariant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The variant was descended from an ancestral version of Omicron Subvariant BA.3 that had not circulated sin…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BA.3.2
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Omicron (B.1.1.529) is a heavily mutated variant of SARS-CoV-2 first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the Network for Genomics Surveillance in South Africa on 24 November 2021. It wa…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SARS-CoV-2_Omicron_variant
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“As of February, BA.3.2 has been detected in at least 25 states, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results explicitly state that BA.3.2 has been detected in wastewater samples from 25 states.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — BA.2.86 is a heavily-mutated Omicron subvariant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. BA.2.86 is notable for having more than thirty mutations on its spike protein relative to BA.2. The subva…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BA.2.86
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — BA.3.2 is a heavily mutated Omicron subvariant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The variant was descended from an ancestral version of Omicron Subvariant BA.3 that had not circulated sin…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BA.3.2
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Omicron (B.1.1.529) is a heavily mutated variant of SARS-CoV-2 first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the Network for Genomics Surveillance in South Africa on 24 November 2021. It wa…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SARS-CoV-2_Omicron_variant
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
“In December 2025, the World Health Organization classified BA.3.2 as a “variant under monitoring."”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of unrelated search results about firearms and classified ads; no evidence confirms the WHO classification of BA.3.2 in December 2025.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — BA.2.86 is a heavily-mutated Omicron subvariant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. BA.2.86 is notable for having more than thirty mutations on its spike protein relative to BA.2. The subva…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BA.2.86
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — BA.3.2 is a heavily mutated Omicron subvariant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The variant was descended from an ancestral version of Omicron Subvariant BA.3 that had not circulated sin…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BA.3.2
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Omicron (B.1.1.529) is a heavily mutated variant of SARS-CoV-2 first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the Network for Genomics Surveillance in South Africa on 24 November 2021. It wa…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SARS-CoV-2_Omicron_variant
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“BA.3.2 was nicknamed “cicada” by T. Ryan Gregory, Ph.D., a professor of evolutionary biology at the University of Guelph”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm that T. Ryan Gregory, a professor at the University of Guelph, nicknamed the variant 'Cicada'.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Animal Genome Size Database is a catalogue of published genome size estimates for vertebrate and invertebrate animals. It was created in 2001 by Dr. T. Ryan Gregory of the University of Guelph in…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_Genome_Size_Database
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of notable people who are from Guelph, Ontario, or have spent a large part or formative part of their career in that city.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_from_Guelph
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — T. Ryan Gregory (born May 16, 1975) is a Canadian evolutionary biologist and genome biologist and a Professor of the Department of Integrative Biology and the Division of Genomic Diversity within the …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T._Ryan_Gregory
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“BA.3.2 was first identified in November 2024 in South Africa.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (The Independent, Newsweek via TikTok, and other web results) confirm the variant was first identified in South Africa in November 2024.
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web search NEUTRAL — BA.3.2 was first detected in November 2024 in a respiratory sample in South Africa; however, it began spreading further in 2025. Researchers have nicknamed it “Cicada,” like an insect. The variant, be…
https://www.firstpost.com/health/what-is-ba-3-2-the-new-covi…
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web search NEUTRAL — BA 3.2 or “Cicada” is a subvariant of Omicron and was first identified in #SouthAfrica in November 2024. #newsweek ’s @Sam Stevenson explains more. #publichealth.
https://www.tiktok.com/@newsweek/video/7622011663935491359
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web search NEUTRAL — Researchers first identified BA.3.2 in November 2024 in Africa. It started its global trek in 2025 and had made it to 23 countries as of February 2026.
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families…
verified
“It's a descendent of BA.3, an omicron subvariant that emerged in 2022”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia and other sources confirm BA.3.2 is a descendant of the BA.3 omicron subvariant which emerged in 2022.
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web search NEUTRAL — BA.3.2 is a heavily mutated Omicron subvariant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The variant was descended from an ancestral version of Omicron Subvariant BA.3 that had not circulated sin…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BA.3.2
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web search NEUTRAL — BA.3.2 is descended from the omicron variant, which emerged in late 2021. Compared to the current predominant strains of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, BA.3.2 carries 70 to 75 genetic cha…
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families…
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web search NEUTRAL — BA.3.2 is a descendant of the BA.3 Omicron subvariant, which first emerged in 2022 alongside BA.1 and BA.2 but largely faded from circulation. It was initially detected in a respiratory sample in Sout…
https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/highly-mut…
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“BA.3.2 has 70–75 mutations in its spike protein”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources consistently report that BA.3.2 has 70-75 mutations in its spike protein.
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web search NEUTRAL — Cicada (BA.3.2) variant first appeared in South Africa in late 2024 and resurged in 2026It has 70-75 spike protein mutations, more than earlier Omicron variants like BA.1 and JN.1Cicada stands out wit…
https://www.ndtv.com/health/cicada-vs-previous-omicron-strai…
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web search NEUTRAL — BA.3.2 has 70–75 mutations in its spike protein — that’s a lot, says Pekosz — which set it apart from JN.1 and LP.8.1, the strains targeted by current COVID-19 vaccines. According to the CDC, BA.3.2 r…
https://www.today.com/health/coronavirus/new-covid-variant-b…
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web search NEUTRAL — BA.3.2 has about 70-75 mutations in its spike proteins compared with other strains.A newly identified COVID-19 variant, BA.3.2, has been detected through wastewater surveillance in California, prompti…
https://www.al.com/news/2026/03/new-covid-variant-symptoms-o…
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“In laboratory studies, BA.3.2 effectively escaped COVID-19 antibodies due to its spike protein changes, the CDC said.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided or found in the search results to support the claim regarding CDC laboratory studies on antibody escape.
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“As of Feb. 11, 2026, BA.3.2 has spread to at least 23 countries, per data from the CDC and the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID) database.”
CORROBORATED
The Independent reports that the variant had made it to 23 countries as of February 2026.
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“It's driving about 30% of cases in Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands, per the CDC.”
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“BA.3.2 was first detected in the U.S. in June 2025 in a traveler returning from the Netherlands at the San Francisco International Airport, the CDC said.”
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“the latest data from WastewaterSCAN... show BA.3.2 has been detected in 3.7% of sewage samples nationwide”
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“BA.3.2 has not shown a sustained growth advantage over other any other co-circulating variant," the WHO said.”
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“The 2025-2026 COVID vaccines, which target the JN.1 lineage, are effective at protecting against severe disease from current strains.”
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“In lab studies, these vaccines were less effective against BA.3.2, but more research is needed, the CDC said.”
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info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.