News|Articles|June 4, 2026

Cicada COVID-19 Variant FAQs: Symptoms, Risk, and Prevention

Fact checked by: Christina Mattina, Noah Greenspan, DPT, PT, CCS, EMT-B

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Key Takeaways

Wastewater signals show BA.3.2 across 25 states, while NWSS funding reductions threaten program continuity after FY2025, diminishing national situational awareness for emerging variants.
Genomic divergence exceeds 70 mutations versus the ancestral strain, creating plausible risk for higher transmissibility or immune escape, although protection against severe disease remains.
Regulators’ scientific advisors unanimously supported updating COVID-19 vaccine strain recommendations based on manufacturer data targeting newer lineages, anticipating antigenic drift beyond current formulations.
Clinical phenotype overlaps Omicron—fatigue and flu-like upper respiratory symptoms—but clinicians report “razor blade” pharyngitis with prominent rhinorrhea, cough, and airway hyperreactivity.
Preliminary epidemiology suggests adolescents may be disproportionately represented, potentially reflecting exposure dynamics and sampling bias; standard precautions remain appropriate, including masking in crowds, hand hygiene, and post-exposure vigilance.

Learn how the Cicada COVID-19 variant spreads, common symptoms, who may be at risk, and what precautions experts recommend.

A relatively newer strain of SARS-CoV-2 has been detected in wastewater in 25 states across the US. The BA.3.2 variant, nicknamed “cicada,” is growing in prevalence among infection rates across the US.¹

Furthermore, the primary source that initially detected the newer variant, the CDC’s National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS), will have its funding cut by nearly $100 million. The American Society of Microbiology appealed to the Senate Appropriations Committee in April, emphasizing that the CDC has exhausted its supplemental funding and will no longer be able to sustain the NWSS program beyond September 30, 2025.²These funding cuts are untimely as this wave of COVID-19 infections grows and newer variants begin to outpace current vaccine formulations.³ Additionally, the spring and summer months carry more uncertainty as experts say early COVID-19 symptoms can be mistaken for allergies, the common cold, or the flu.

Here are some common FAQs about the cicada variant.

How transmissible is the cicada variant compared with other strains?

There is limited research on the transmissibility of the cicada variant, but what is known is that this variant has more than 70 mutations from the initial viral strain. The number of mutations does raise concern, as it can become more infectious than previous strains, or the vaccine may be less effective in preventing it.¹ The current vaccines, however, are still effective in preventing severe disease should someone contract the virus with this particular variant.

The FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee addressed the issue of the COVID-19 vaccine’s effectiveness in late May. The committee voted unanimously to update the COVID-19 vaccine recommendations after hearing evidence from pharmaceutical companies currently working on vaccines targeting newer strains.³

How do symptoms differ between the cicada variant and other SARS-CoV-2 strains?

In regard to symptoms, they are relatively similar to those of the Omicron strain, including fatigue, lethargy, and other flu-like symptoms, said Noah Greenspan, PT, DPT, owner and founder of Pulmonary Wellness and Rehabilitation Center, where he specializes in treating patients with long COVID.

“One thing that is a little bit different is a very severe sore throat,” he said in an interview with The American Journal of Managed Care^®. “Some people [have described it as] razor blade throat…so a very severe sore throat, upper respiratory infection, [with other symptoms like] runny, stuffy nose or sinuses, sneezing, coughing, tightened airways…, [and] increased reactivity in the airways.”

Who is at high risk of getting the cicada variant?

Preliminary reports have noted a higher prevalence of adolescent cases infected with the cicada variant when compared with adults. Multiple pediatric specialists have also supported this claim; however, more research is needed to confirm whether adolescents are at higher risk of infection with this variant.²

The preliminary reports may be limited by sampling bias, but overall, the rate of infection with this variant is relatively low among adults and adolescents.

“With children, it's [difficult to say] because…they go to school, they're surrounded by other children [and] they are not experienced enough to take precautions,” Greenspan said. “They don't like washing their hands; they don't like wearing a mask. They often are forced to go to school when they're sick or sometimes don't know [they’re] sick but [are still] contagious.”

What precautions should you take to prevent infection?

Greenspan emphasized that the same precautions for preventing COVID-19 generally still apply. Wearing a mask in crowded public spaces, frequent hand-washing, and acting if you know you may have been exposed are important.

“If in doubt, err on the side of caution; make sure that you know you're taking precautions, because you don't know, and I think people should be concerned,” he said.

References

1. Morrill J. What to know about the new COVID variant BA 3.2 (cicada). NewYork-Presbyterian. April 10, 2026. Accessed June 3, 2026. https://www.nyp.org/healthmatters/what-to-know-about-the-new-covid-variant-ba-32-cicada

2. Laws J. Worrying COVID “cicada” variant spreads as US maps go dark. Newsweek. June 3, 2026. Accessed June 3, 2026. https://www.newsweek.com/worrying-covid-cicada-variant-spreads-as-us-maps-go-dark-12019859

3. Lovelace B. FDA panel recommends updating Covid shots to target XFG strain. NBC News. May 28, 2026. Accessed June 3, 2026. https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/fda-panel-recommends-updating-covid-shots-target-xfg-strain-rcna347370