New Covid-19 Variant BA.3.2 Is Spreading and May 'Evade Immunity,' CDC Warns
Gizmodo • • general
Key Points:
- The CDC is monitoring a new COVID-19 variant, BA.3.2, an Omicron descendant with spike protein mutations that may reduce protection from prior infection or vaccination.
- BA.3.2 was first detected in the U.S. last summer at San Francisco International Airport and has since been found in at least five hospital patients across four states, though it currently accounts for only 0.55% of sequenced cases.
- Wastewater surveillance indicates BA.3.2 is present in 25 states and may be spreading faster than genomic data suggests, but it has not yet caused an increase in COVID-19 severity or deaths.
- The variant appears to pose the greatest risk to older adults and immunocompromised individuals, with initial hospital cases involving patients with chronic health conditions.
- BA.3.2 likely originated in South Africa in late 2024 and has spread to 23 countries, spreading rapidly in Europe where it constitutes 30% of new cases in some nations, potentially due to its ability to evade immunity from the current mRNA vaccine.
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