The CDC says COVID-19 is growing or likely growing across the country this summer, with cases rising in the South and West and also picking up in the Northeast and Midwest. Experts are pointing to a heavily mutated strain nicknamed the cicada variant, officially labeled BA.3.2, as part of what’s fueling the increase heading into the new school year.
What actually is the cicada variant, and why that name?
BA.3.2 is a mutation of the Omicron lineage, and it picked up the cicada nickname because, like the insect, it tends to disappear for a while before reemerging months later. It was first detected in a traveler at San Francisco International Airport in June 2025, and it slowly simmered before ramping up significantly last fall. Scientists have counted between 70 and 75 new mutations on the variant’s spike protein, more than what’s typically seen in strains that have circulated since 2023. Symptoms so far look familiar rather than alarming, mostly sore throat, fatigue, congestion and body aches, similar to what earlier Omicron waves produced.
Why does this surge feel different from past summers?
Experts say the pattern of COVID behaving more like a summer disease than a winter one has become clearer this year, prompting health officials to rethink their prevention timing altogether. Unlike the flu, which only spikes in winter, COVID has settled into hitting twice a year, and researchers still can’t fully explain why a respiratory virus would carry a summer season at all. What’s genuinely good news is that this summer’s wave appears to be continuing the trend of getting milder each year, sending fewer people to the hospital and causing fewer deaths than prior waves.
What’s the part of this story that isn’t getting enough attention?
Here’s what deserves more attention than the case count. The CDC’s National Wastewater Surveillance System, the tool responsible for catching variants like this one early, is facing a funding cut of nearly $100 million. That’s the same system that flagged BA.3.2 spreading through wastewater samples across dozens of states before it ever became a headline. Cutting the budget for the early warning system right as a new variant gains ground is the kind of quiet decision that could mean the next surge gets noticed later than it should.
Should families worry heading into back to school season?
Doctors are flagging real concern about the timing, since large groups gathering as schools reopen tend to spread respiratory viruses more efficiently, and something mild in a kid can turn into something far more serious for an older relative who brings it home. COVID still poses real risk for older adults, infants and people who are immunocompromised, and that’s a larger slice of the population than people tend to assume, roughly one or two people in a typical group of 20 coworkers.
What about vaccines, and is there any new confusion to navigate?
A new COVID vaccine matched to the currently dominant strain should become available soon, alongside a new mRNA flu shot aimed at older adults. But the guidance picture has gotten messier. The CDC hasn’t issued its usual updated vaccine recommendations this year because of ongoing litigation over the Trump administration’s push to overhaul immunization policy, and the administration no longer recommends that everyone aged 6 months and older get an annual shot as routine. Major medical groups are still recommending the shots regardless, and insurers have said they’ll keep covering them. Health advocates worry the mixed messaging alone could talk people out of getting protected, which matters more this year given how quietly this variant has been spreading.
What should people actually do right now?
Nothing dramatic. Staying current on vaccines, masking in crowded indoor spaces if you’re higher risk, and not powering through symptoms at work or school are still the basics that matter most. The virus hasn’t gotten scarier this year. What’s changed is the system meant to spot it early is getting smaller right as the pattern of disappearing and reemerging becomes harder to predict.
