Children ages 3 to 15 are about five times more likely to contract the BA.3.2 variant of SARS-CoV-2, nicknamed "Cicada," according to New York City case data. Despite this shift, current vaccines still offer protection and no rise in hospitalizations has been observed.
BA.3.2 first appeared in November 2024 in a South African child and carries 53 changes to its spike protein. It has been detected in 23 countries and wastewater from 25 U.S. states, yet has not driven new global waves of disease.
Dr. Alex Greninger, University of Washington:
"It's not a nothingburger, but it's like adding grilled onions to your burger."
Scientists suspect the variant evolved within a single immunocompromised person, which may explain why it lost some ability to bind tightly to human cells. That limitation likely keeps its global competitiveness middling. Dr. Tulio de Oliveira, Stellenbosch University:
"At the moment, with previous immunity and previous vaccination, we're not seeing any sign of increasing hospitalization and death."
Why children remain more susceptible is not yet clear. Reduced genetic sequencing since the pandemic's peak means the true prevalence of BA.3.2 may be higher than current data suggests. Whether the variant will evolve further remains an open question.
Source: CNN Health | CDC Report