Kids may be more likely to get the new ‘Cicada’ variant of Covid-19, scientists say. Here’s what to know about BA.

A heavily mutated variant of the virus that causes Covid-19 appears to be affecting primarily children, scientists say, though it’s not causing more severe disease – in kids or in adults. Rather, experts say the fact that the virus is breaking with its pattern of being a menace, primarily, of older adults is a telling detail. It’s something to study and understand so that scientists can better predict the behavior of this ever-evolving virus. Although Covid-19 is circulating at a very low level right now, the US is just starting to contend with this sleeper branch of the Omicron family tree, a variant called BA.3.2, which has been nicknamed “Cicada,” after the insect’s ability to disappear and then reemerge after years underground. This variant has been spotted in 23 countries and in wastewater from 25 US states, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which quietly published a report on the virus last month. It appears to be circulating in the US at low levels, although testing has been scaled back since the height of the pandemic, so it may be more widespread than currently known. Current vaccines are still believed to offer some protection, an

Apr 2, 2026 → Apr 2, 2026