New COVID Variant 'Cicada' Detected in NYC Wastewater

BA.3.2 variant found in travelers, clinical samples, and sewage across multiple states

Mar. 27, 2026 at 1:54pm

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A new COVID-19 variant called BA.3.2, nicknamed 'Cicada', has been detected in wastewater samples in New York City and across multiple states. The variant has been found in traveler screenings, clinical testing, and wastewater surveillance, suggesting broader, undercounted spread. Researchers say the variant carries between 70 and 75 mutations in the spike protein, and symptoms appear to largely mirror earlier COVID-19 infections.

Why it matters

The detection of BA.3.2 in wastewater before increases in confirmed cases or hospitalizations places it on watchlists across the region, as public health officials monitor whether it could alter infection trends, especially in dense urban areas like New York City. Gaps in genomic surveillance may also be masking the variant's true spread.

The details

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the BA.3.2 variant in nasal swabs from travelers, clinical samples from patients, and airplane wastewater, along with more than 100 wastewater samples across 25 states, including New York and New Jersey. Researchers traced the lineage to a respiratory sample collected in South Africa in November 2024, and by June 2025, a traveler arriving in the United States from the Netherlands tested positive. Studies later showed the variant spreading in parts of Europe, where it accounted for about 30 percent of analyzed cases in countries including Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands.

  • In November 2024, the BA.3.2 variant was first detected in a respiratory sample collected in South Africa.
  • By June 2025, a traveler arriving in the United States from the Netherlands tested positive for the BA.3.2 variant.
  • As of March 2026, the BA.3.2 variant has been detected in wastewater samples across 25 states, including New York and New Jersey.

The players

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The leading national public health institute in the United States.

Robert H. Hopkins, Jr.

Medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.

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What they’re saying

“It is possible we will see Cicada drive a summer COVID surge and become the dominant strain in the United States; but that is by no means certain.”

— Robert H. Hopkins, Jr., medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases

What’s next

Public health officials continue to track the BA.3.2 variant through sequencing and wastewater data, building a clearer picture of how it moves through New York and beyond.

The takeaway

The detection of the BA.3.2 variant, nicknamed 'Cicada', in wastewater before increases in confirmed cases or hospitalizations highlights the importance of wastewater surveillance in early detection of new COVID-19 variants, even as gaps in genomic surveillance may be masking the variant's true spread.