New COVID Variant Symptoms: What to Know About Cicada

If you’ve been hearing whispers about a “Cicada” COVID variant and wondering whether your scratchy throat means something different this time around, you’re not alone. Health officials in Ireland recently flagged a surge in cases, and the BA.3.2 strain has now shown up in at least 23 countries.

Main symptoms: sore throat, cough, fatigue, fever, headaches, congestion ·
Unusual symptoms: sneezing, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea ·
Detected in: 23 countries including Ireland ·
Recent surge: Irish cases reported March 2026 ·
Vaccine efficacy: may be less effective

The following table summarizes key details about the BA.3.2 (Cicada) variant including symptoms, origin, and prevalence data.

What are the main symptoms of the newest COVID?

The Cicada variant does not cause new or unusual symptoms compared to other Omicron COVID-19 variants, according to Stony Brook Medicine. Most people infected with BA.3.2 experience symptoms that overlap substantially with what we’ve seen in previous waves.

Common symptoms

The most frequently reported symptoms include cough, fatigue or low energy, fever, and body aches. These match the classic COVID presentation that most people recognize by now. Additional BA.3.2 symptoms may include sore throat, runny nose or congestion, headache, shortness of breath, nausea or reduced appetite, and brain fog, according to Stony Brook Medicine. Loss of taste or smell is now less common with BA.3.2 but still possible.

Unusual symptoms

Some patients have reported gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea — symptoms that can sometimes be mistaken for a stomach bug. Sneezing has also been noted more frequently than in some earlier variants, which can lead people to dismiss their illness as seasonal allergies.

The implication is that symptom recognition alone isn’t sufficient; testing remains the definitive way to identify BA.3.2.

How long does the latest COVID usually last?

For most individuals infected with BA.3.2, symptoms improve within 3–7 days, according to Apollo Hospitals. Full recovery typically occurs within 1–2 weeks. This timeline aligns closely with what we’ve seen in previous Omicron subvariants.

Duration of symptoms

The acute phase — when you’re most likely to feel miserable — usually peaks around days 2-4. After that, most people start feeling noticeably better. Fatigue can linger a bit longer, and some people report that a dry cough persists for another week or so after other symptoms resolve.

Recovery timeline

The CDC and NHS guidance suggests that most healthy adults recover fully within two weeks. Older adults, immunocompromised individuals, or those with underlying health conditions may take longer and should stay in close contact with their healthcare provider.

What this means is that most people recover without complications, but monitoring for deterioration remains essential especially for at-risk groups.

How long are you contagious with the newest strain of COVID?

The contagious period for BA.3.2 follows the same general pattern as other Omicron variants. You are most contagious in the days immediately before and after symptom onset. Most people stop being contagious about 10 days after symptoms begin, provided they’ve been fever-free for at least 24 hours without medication and symptoms are improving.

Contagious period

Current guidance from health authorities indicates that isolation should continue for at least 5 full days after symptom onset, with masking for 10 days as a precaution. This applies whether you have the original COVID strain or the Cicada variant.

Testing and isolation

Rapid antigen tests are useful for determining if you’re still actively shedding virus. If you have access to rapid tests, two consecutive negative results taken 24 hours apart can help confirm you’re no longer contagious. PCR tests can remain positive longer and are not the best indicator of contagiousness.

The pattern here mirrors earlier variants, meaning existing isolation guidance applies without modification.

Is there a new strain of COVID going around?

Yes. The BA.3.2 variant — nicknamed the “Cicada” variant — has been detected in at least 23 countries as of February 11, 2026, according to CIDRAP. The variant was first identified in South Africa on November 22, 2024, according to CDC MMWR. Recent reports indicate a surge in Irish cases in March 2026.

Cicada variant details

BA.3.2 is a sublineage of the Omicron variant descended from an ancestral version of BA.3 that had not circulated since early 2022, according to Wikipedia. It has approximately 70–75 substitutions and deletions in the spike protein gene sequence relative to JN.1 and LP.8.1, according to CDC MMWR. The World Health Organization declared BA.3.2 a variant under monitoring (VUM) on December 5, 2025.

Spread in Ireland

Health officials in Ireland have reported a notable surge in Cicada variant cases since March 2026. The variant was detected in 25 US states via wastewater monitoring, and globally accounts for about 8% of variants per the WHO, according to New York Presbyterian. From November 2025 to January 2026, weekly BA.3.2 detections increased to about 30% of sequences in Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands.

The catch is that even if vaccines become less effective at preventing infection, their role in reducing severe outcomes remains critical.

How can I tell if I have COVID or a cold?

Distinguishing between COVID and a common cold can be tricky because they share many symptoms. The key difference often lies in the specific combination and intensity of symptoms, plus any potential exposure to confirmed COVID cases.

Key differences

COVID is more likely to cause fever, body aches, and fatigue that feels more severe than a typical cold. A cold typically starts with a sore throat and runny nose, while COVID may include shortness of breath or chest discomfort as prominent features. Loss of taste or smell, while less common now, still leans more toward COVID.

When to test

If you have any respiratory symptoms and either have been around someone with confirmed COVID or live in an area with high transmission, testing is advisable. Rapid antigen tests are widely available and can give you a quick result within 15 minutes.

For people in Ireland and elsewhere, the Cicada variant is worth noting but not panicking about. The symptoms are familiar, the recovery timeline is predictable, and health authorities describe the public health risk as low. The practical takeaway is straightforward: if you feel unwell and suspect COVID, test to confirm — and if you test positive, isolate appropriately while monitoring your symptoms. For those around vulnerable individuals, extra caution with masking and testing makes sense given the variant’s immune escape characteristics.