Cicada Covid variant is spreading in the US
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A new COVID-19 variant ‘Cicada’ (BA.3.2) is spreading in the US and Europe. Experts say it is not causing severe illness and poses no immediate risk to India.
The variant has been identified in the United States and several countries across Europe and Asia. It is currently under observation, with global health systems tracking its spread.
Popular Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines protect primarily against the KP.8.1 strain, while the Novavax vaccine targets the JN.1 strain. But Cicada, or the BA.3.2 strain, is different enough where our antibodies may not recognise the illness as quickly.
The “Cicada” COVID-19 variant (BA.3.2), part of Omicron, is spreading across 20+ countries with rising cases. With 70+ mutations, it may spread faster and partially evade immunity, but isn’t more severe.
The 'Cicada' COVID-19 variant, first identified in South Africa, has been detected in the UK. Learn about its spread, symptoms, and impact.