Mysterious "Cicada" COVID Variant Spreading In New York

The "Cicada" COVID subvariant is starting to spread across New York State.

With fewer people getting tested for COVID, officials say the highly-mutated subvariant is being detected in New York through wastewater and traveler surveillance.

Highly-Muted COVID Strain Spreading Across New York State

Photo by Martin Sanchez on Unsplash

The Cicada is a highly mutated strain of the Omicron family. The variant contains 70 to 75 mutations in its spike protein, significantly more than those in other recent strains, experts note.

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Because of these mutations, health experts believe it can more easily evade immunity for vaccines or past COVID infections.

As of this writing, the Cicada variant has been detected in at least 31 U.S. states, including New York, and over 20 countries.

Cicada Symptoms to Watch For

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The symptoms are mostly consistent with other COVID-19 strains. Though many people report a painful "razor blade" sore throat.

These COVID Symptoms May Lead to Hospitalizations in New York

Health officials say New Yorkers should be on a close lookout for a number of Omicron symptoms that likely means you need urgent medical care.

How It Got The Cicada Name

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This variant goes by the Cicada nickname because it briefly appeared in late 2024, then went "underground" and has suddenly re-emerged, similar to the life cycle of the insect.

Impacting New York Children The Most

It's unclear why, but early data suggest the variant impacts children more than adults. In New York, officials are monitoring this trend, where the variant is disproportionately affecting children.

Tracking suggests cases in New York are driven largely by infections in children. Experts think it could be because many children, especially young children, have had fewer past infections or vaccinations compared to adults.

As of now, there's no evidence that "Cicada" causes more severe disease or higher rates of hospitalization than previous variants in children or adults.