Health alert as Cicada Covid variant spreads worldwide

Aussies have been warned of a new strain of Covid that is spreading across the US and Europe.

The BA 3.2 strain, dubbed “Cicada”, was first detected in South Africa in December 2024 but only started to spread to at least 23 countries in Europe and the US between late 2025 and early 2026.

The strain has been detected in 25 states in the US and is being monitored by the World Health Organisation and US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The strain was first detected in Australia in wastewater surveillance in November 2025, an Australian Centre for Disease Control (CDC) spokesman confirmed.

While Cicada is yet to be detected as a major strain in Australia, health experts have warned to monitor for signs and symptoms.

What is the Cicada strain?

The BA 3.2 strain, better known as Cicada, is a mutation of the Omicron variant.

The Omicron variant has about 300 strains.

“These viruses actually compete with each other, so once there is another dominant species, then the previous virus generally take over,” University of NSW epidemiologist Abrar Chughtai told NewsWire.

“And every two or three months, we are seeing a new strain.”

With every new strain that emerges, the efficacy of vaccines and previous infection become less effective.

“This (has) descended from the previous strain, so it means you will still have immunity – but slightly less immunity,” Dr Chughtai said.

The Australian CDC spokesman said while the variant was “highly transmissible”, there had been no signs of “sustained growth advantage over any other circulating Omicron variants”.

They said there was “no evidence to indicate increased severity, hospitalisations or deaths” associated with the Cicada strain.

“This variant will continue to be monitored,” they told NewsWire.

Symptoms of the Cicada strain to watch

Much like other strains of the Omicron variant, the Cicada strain typically affects the respiratory system.

“Most people recover within a few days without treatment,” the Australian CDC spokesman told NewsWire.

“People should see their healthcare professional if they are very unwell or at greater risk of severe illness.

“Their healthcare professional might prescribe antiviral medicines, if eligible.”

Symptoms to watch for include:

• Cough

• Fatigue

• Fever

• Body aches

• Sore throat

• Headache

• Runny nose

• Shortness of breath

• Nausea or reduced appetite

How to stop the spread

Even though the strain has already spread globally for several months, Dr Chughtai said the best way to prevent further infections was by being vaccinated.

“Vaccines are very good, particularly for old age groups,” he told NewsWire.

“We need to protect our vulnerable groups, particularly the elderly and people with pre-existing illness, so vaccination is still the best shot for them.”

Should we be worried about the Cicada strain?

Despite the strain spreading globally, Dr Chughtai said there was no reason for Australians to panic.

“At a population level, we don’t need to be worried,” he said.

“This is not a new strain, it had been circulating (over) the past 1½, so I don’t think so there’s a big problem.”

He said while Australians need not panic, practising good hygiene and taking steps to avoid large crowds would help keep infection rates down.

“We just need to make sure that they are protected, they are not attending crowded places, using masks, (practising good) hand hygiene – all that stuff,” he said.