{"id":44568,"date":"2026-03-30T21:44:38","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T21:44:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=44568"},"modified":"2026-03-30T21:44:38","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T21:44:38","slug":"new-covid-strain-cicada-identified-and-its-raising-vaccine-concerns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=44568","title":{"rendered":"New Covid strain \u2018Cicada\u2019 identified and it\u2019s raising vaccine concerns"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>A new COVID variant is now spreading and experts are starting to pay attention. It has been given a strange nickname: \u201cCicada.\u201d There\u2019s a reason why.<\/strong><\/p><div class=\"bhida6a084d84e618b\" ><div style=\"width:100%; max-width:1200px; margin:0 auto;\">\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/bolt-casino.com?r=0BFDBF1283\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\n    <img \n      src=\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/f8693ebb-2018-480f-a2f7-0096810c07f0.jpg\" \n      alt=\"200% Deposit Bonus + 10% Cashback\" \n      style=\"width:100%; height:auto; display:block; border-radius:8px; cursor:pointer;\"\n    \/>\n  <\/a>\n<\/div><\/div><style type=\"text\/css\">\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 1201px) {\r\n.bhida6a084d84e618b {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 993px) and (max-width: 1200px) {\r\n.bhida6a084d84e618b {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 769px) and (max-width: 992px) {\r\n.bhida6a084d84e618b {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 768px) {\r\n.bhida6a084d84e618b {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (max-width: 767px) {\r\n.bhida6a084d84e618b {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n<\/style>\r\n\n<p>The new strain, called BA.3.2, is attracting closer attention. One reason is the many changes in the variant\u2019s spike protein, which make it different from other versions now spreading.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPerhaps more concerning is the variant\u2019s slew of genetic changes in its spike protein, which set it apart from other variants circulating,\u201d said Andrew Pekosz, Ph.D., a virologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, in an interview with\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.today.com\/health\/coronavirus\/new-covid-variant-ba32-cicada-symptoms-2026-rcna265088\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">TODAY<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The virus that causes COVID-19 keeps changing as it spreads. This is normal and leads to the emergence of new variants over time. Most variants today are very similar to each other, with only minor differences. But according to experts, BA.3.2 is not like the others \u2014 it clearly stands out.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-cicada-a-new-covid-strain\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cicada \u2013 a new Covid strain<\/h2>\n<p>Scientists say it was first found in South Africa in 2024, but it stayed quiet for a long time. Then suddenly, it came back.<\/p>\n<p>Now, it has been found in more than 20 countries worldwide. Per the CDC, it\u2019s circulating in at least 25 U.S. states.<\/p>\n<p>The name comes from the insect cicada. Cicadas can stay underground for years before suddenly appearing again. Experts say this virus is similar. Scientists say this variant has many mutations \u2014 around 70 to 75 changes in the spike protein. That itself could make it easier to spread, and it could make the strain better at avoiding immunity.<\/p>\n<p>However, there is also some good news. Experts believe current COVID vaccines still protect against serious illness. So even if the virus spreads, it may not be more dangerous.<\/p>\n<p>As of now, the BA. 3.2 Strain is still a small part of total COVID cases. But in some parts of Europe, it has already made up a large share of infections. However, it\u2019s still too early to say whether the \u201ccicada\u201d will become the next dominant strain.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A new COVID variant is now spreading and experts are starting to pay attention. It has been given a strange nickname: \u201cCicada.\u201d There\u2019s a reason why. The new strain, called BA.3.2, is attracting closer attention. One reason is the many changes in the variant\u2019s spike protein, which make it different from other versions now spreading&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":44569,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"default","_kad_post_title":"default","_kad_post_layout":"default","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"default","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"default","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[19,17,11,20,24,15,12,25,22,18,16,21,14,23,13],"class_list":["post-44568","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-chronic-diseases","tag-fitness","tag-health-tips","tag-healthcare-technology","tag-healthy-lifestyle","tag-healthy-living","tag-medical-advice","tag-medical-awareness","tag-medical-research","tag-mental-health","tag-nutrition","tag-patient-care","tag-preventive-care","tag-public-health","tag-wellness"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>New Covid strain \u2018Cicada\u2019 identified and it\u2019s raising vaccine concerns - VM News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=44568\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"New Covid strain \u2018Cicada\u2019 identified and it\u2019s raising vaccine concerns - VM News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A new COVID variant is now spreading and experts are starting to pay attention. It has been given a strange nickname: \u201cCicada.\u201d There\u2019s a reason why. The new strain, called BA.3.2, is attracting closer attention. 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