New 'Cicada' COVID Variant Appears to Affect Kids More

Scientists say the BA.3.2 variant, nicknamed 'Cicada,' is not causing more severe disease but is breaking the pattern of primarily affecting older adults.

Apr. 2, 2026 at 1:55pm

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A heavily mutated variant of the virus that causes COVID-19, called BA.3.2 and nicknamed 'Cicada,' appears to be affecting primarily children, though it's not causing more severe disease. Experts say the fact that the virus is breaking with its pattern of being a menace primarily of older adults is a telling detail that warrants study to better predict the behavior of this ever-evolving virus.

Why it matters

The emergence of the BA.3.2 variant, which has been spotted in 23 countries and 25 US states, highlights the continued evolution of the COVID-19 virus and the need to closely monitor new variants, even as the pandemic appears to be waning. Understanding why this variant seems to target children more than adults could provide valuable insights into viral evolution and immunity.

The details

BA.3.2 has 53 changes to its spike protein compared to its parent virus BA.3, and roughly 70 mutations compared to the original coronavirus that emerged in 2019. These numerous changes might help it slip past immunity from past infections and vaccinations, but unlike other highly mutated variants, BA.3.2 hasn't shown signs of global dominance. Experts believe this is because it has lost the ability to bind tightly to the ACE-2 receptors that the virus needs to cause infections, making it a 'middling competitor' on the global stage. While BA.3.2 is picking up steam, it currently does not show up prominently in the national picture.

  • BA.3.2 was first detected in a 5-year-old boy in South Africa in November 2024.
  • The variant was first picked up in the US last summer, in a traveler from the Netherlands.
  • The first clinical sample from a sick patient in the US turned out to be BA.3.2 in January 2026.

The players

Dr. Alex Greninger

Head of the Division of Infectious Disease Diagnostics at the University of Washington's Department of Laboratory Medicine.

Dr. Tulio de Oliveira

Director of the Center for Epidemic Response and Innovation, which is affiliated with Stellenbosch University in South Africa.

Dr. T. Ryan Gregory

Evolutionary biologist at the University of Guelph in Canada.

Dr. Marc Johnson

Professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at the University of Missouri School of Medicine who closely tracks the presence of the virus in wastewater.

Dr. Florian Krammer

Virologist and professor of vaccinology at Mount Sinai's Icahn School of Medicine in New York.

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What they’re saying

“It's super interesting from a viral evolution standpoint. That's been about a year and a half that this thing has had to run its course or to increase, and it hasn't done very much. It's not a nothingburger, but it's like adding grilled onions to your burger.”

— Dr. Alex Greninger, Head of the Division of Infectious Disease Diagnostics at the University of Washington's Department of Laboratory Medicine

“I don't believe that it should be included in the next vaccine. At the moment, with previous immunity and previous vaccination, we're not seeing any sign of increasing hospitalization and death – and besides that, it doesn't seem like the public has a big appetite for a new vaccination campaign.”

— Dr. Tulio de Oliveira, Director of the Center for Epidemic Response and Innovation, Stellenbosch University

“One thing that we found is that the BA.3.2 seems to infect children – not infants but children between 3 and 15 years old – quite efficiently, which we do not know why yet.”

— Dr. Tulio de Oliveira, Director of the Center for Epidemic Response and Innovation, Stellenbosch University

What’s next

Researchers will continue to closely monitor the spread and evolution of the BA.3.2 variant, particularly its impact on children, to better understand the virus's behavior and determine if updated vaccines are needed.

The takeaway

The emergence of the 'Cicada' COVID variant highlights the ongoing need to closely track new variants, even as the pandemic appears to be waning. Understanding why this variant seems to target children more than adults could provide valuable insights into viral evolution and immunity that could help guide future public health responses.