India, March 28 -- A heavily mutated new COVID-19 variant, BA.3.2 - informally dubbed "Cicada" - is spreading across the United States, according to media reports.

According to reports, the variant has a stronger chance of escaping immunity from vaccines or prior infection.

At present, COVID-19 cases remain low in the US, but BA.3.2 has now been detected across several nations, including the US.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said as of February 11, 2026, BA.3.2 had been reported in 23 countries.

It further said: "Monitoring the spread of BA.3.2 provides valuable information about the potential for this new SARS-CoV-2 lineage to evade immunity from a previous infection or vaccination."

Andrew Pekosz, Ph.D., a vir...