A new Covid-19 variant, BA.3.2, is spreading across the United States and may be able to evade protection from current vaccines, according to a report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The variant, descended from omicron, was first detected in South Africa in 2024 and in the US in June 2025 in a traveller from the Netherlands. It has since been reported in 23 countries and has been found in nasal swabs from four American travellers and clinical samples from five patients in four unidentified states. Additionally, it has been detected in three airplane wastewater samples and 132 wastewater samples from more than 20 states, suggesting wider spread than currently observed.
BA.3.2 carries approximately 70 to 75 genetic changes in its spike protein, making it easier for the virus to spread and evade immune protection. Lab studies show that the strain evades antibodies activated by Covid vaccines, likely due to these mutations. The 2025–2026 LP.8.1-adapted mRNA vaccine, which targets JN.1 strains, showed the lowest antibody neutralisation against BA.3.2 in a study of seven variants.
The variant has been detected in 25 states including California, Florida, New York, and Texas. It was found in hospitalised patients in December and January in three unidentified states, including two older adults with underlying conditions and a young child who received outpatient care. However, researchers noted that this does not necessarily indicate more severe disease.
BA.3.2 is not currently a dominant variant in the US, and reported cases have not been more severe than other infections. Covid deaths and hospitalisations have fallen compared to last year, but thousands of people are still dying, with over 3,600 deaths so far in 2025, according to CDC data.
Scientists emphasise that viruses will continue to mutate, and while many variants may not change significantly, the public should remain vigilant to reduce opportunities for the virus to replicate and evolve.
