The BA.3.2 subvariant of Covid-19, nicknamed “cicada,” is spreading in the United States. It appears to affect children aged 3 to 15 more, without being more virulent. Absent in France for now, it may soon spread there.
The new variant of Covid-19, BA.3.2, also known as “cicada” in French, is on the rise. This Omicron subvariant seems to target mainly children. It was detected in the United States in 2025, with most infections occurring there. However, it is expected to soon affect people in Europe and France, according to epidemiologist Antoine Flahault from actu.fr.
“When the coronavirus emerged in Wuhan in Hubei in early 2020, the rest of the world thought it was ‘contained’ to that region in China. We saw what happened,” detailed Antoine Flahault. Similarly, the Delta variant originated in India and Omicron in South Africa, reaching all five continents within a few months. The variant was named “cicada,” in reference to the insect that reappears regularly in the eastern United States every 13 or 17 years.
Dr. Alex Greninger, head of the infectious disease diagnostic department at the University of Washington, told CNN that the development of this variant is rather “slow.” While it does not appear to be more deadly or virulent than previous strains, it seems to affect children aged 3 to 15 more. The age distribution of cases infected with this BA.3.2 subvariant is clearly much younger than that of previous coronavirus variants. It resembles the age distribution of flu cases, where 50% are under 20 years old, as explained by Antoine Flahault.
No cases of the “cicada” variant have been detected in France. With temperatures rising, the circulation of Covid-19 is relatively low in the country, with 50 emergency room visits per 100,000 visits, according to data from March 30 provided by Santé publique France.
[Context: The BA.3.2 subvariant of Covid-19, also referred to as “cicada,” is reported to be affecting children more in the United States without showing increased severity. It is expected to spread to Europe and France soon.] [Fact Check: Contrary to the claim made in the article, the BA.3.2 subvariant was not detected in the United States in 2025, as the year has not yet occurred.]
