A new COVID-19 variant, BA.3.2, has been detected in 25 states, according to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The new variant was first found in South Africa in November 2024 and has since spread to at least 23 countries; it accounts for 30% of current COVID-19 cases in certain parts of Europe.
BA.3.2 was first identified in the United States in January 2026 and currently makes up less than 1% of cases in the country, according to Dr. Abraar Karan, an instructor in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine in California.
“In the U.S., it has been detected in wastewater across multiple states which suggests low-level spread, but it has not emerged as the dominant variant,” Dr. Syra Madad, an epidemiologist and author of the Substack Critical Health Voices, told HuffPost via email. (The current dominant variant in the U.S. is XFG, according to CDC data.)
While COVID-19 levels are low throughout most of the country, this variant is capturing researchers’ attention for a reason. Here’s what to know:
BA.3.2 has more mutations than many other COVID-19 variants, which makes it “concerning,” one expert says.
“BA.3.2 is a newer SARS-CoV-2 variant that public health officials are watching closely because it has a large number of spike protein mutations, which may help it partially evade immunity from prior infection or vaccination,” said Madad.
“It does have more mutations than some other variants … in the spike protein, which is particularly relevant for various proxies of whether this could cause more problems to humans,” Karan said.
Changes to the spike protein make the virus more transmissible, or contagious.
The mutations make this variant potentially worrisome and are the reason it caught researchers’ eyes as they monitor emerging COVID-19 variants, Karan said. “So, I would say it is concerning in that way,” Karan added.
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It’s not currently clear if there are any new or hallmark symptoms of BA.3.2.
Since BA.3.2 makes up a relatively small percentage of COVID-19 cases right now, it’s hard to say exactly what symptoms it causes. But Karan said current COVID symptoms aren’t too different from what has been seen in recent years — “upper respiratory symptoms, not pneumonias, but more runny noses, sneezing, headaches, body aches.”
“We’re still going to have to wait and see whether or not this variant causes more severe disease,” Karan added. “That’s really the big question with any COVID variant at this point.”
“So far there is no evidence that it is causing more severe illness on a population level,” Madad said.
Recent COVID variants have caused milder disease overall than what was seen when COVID first emerged, Karan said. This doesn’t mean that COVID is no longer causing hospitalization, death and long COVID, but it’s now less likely to do so.
There are ways you can protect yourself from COVID this spring.
As with other COVID-19 variants, the best way to avoid getting sick is by taking all the precautions recommended during the pandemic.
This includes practicing frequent hand-washing, wearing a mask in crowded indoor spaces, staying away from people who are sick and staying up-to-date on COVID vaccines.
If you notice any COVID symptoms, you should stay home and away from others. Taking a COVID test is also a good idea; if you test positive for COVID, your doctor can prescribe anti-viral treatments that can help you feel better faster.
Authors of the CDC report wrote that BA.3.2 “represents a new lineage of SARS-CoV-2” and is “genetically distinct from the JN.1 lineages (including LP.8.1 and XFG) that have circulated in the United States since January 2024.”
The current COVID shots were designed to target LP.8.1, but that doesn’t mean the shots don’t protect against BA.3.2 infection.
“The current COVID vaccines are still expected to provide meaningful protection, especially against severe illness, hospitalization and death,” Madad explained. “Lab studies suggest BA.3.2 may reduce some antibody protection compared with other circulating variants but vaccines remain an important layer of defense, particularly for older adults and higher-risk groups.”
COVID-19 activity is low and declining in most of the country, Madad said, and this is also true for hospitalizations and emergency department visits.
“The best advice this spring is to stay up-to-date on vaccination, practice good hand hygiene, stay home when sick and take extra precautions if you’re older or immunocompromised,” Madad noted. “This is very much a ‘stay aware, not alarmed’ moment.”