Cicada COVID Variant Spreads Globally

0:00It's March 27. This is Durham News Today, driven by AI. A new COVID variant called cicada is driving up cases around the world. Health officials at the Centers for Disease Control say it's popped up in at least 23 countries. It was first spotted in South Africa back in November 2024. The variant spread slowly at first, but now experts are seeing a clear uptick in infections, though they're puzzled about the timing. In the United States, it hasn't led to a big wave of cases yet, but tests show it's in wastewater across more than 20 states. Viruses like the one behind COVID mutate all the time, creating fresh variants regularly. This one might put extra pressure on immune systems and dodge protection from vaccines or past illnesses. Still, it doesn't seem to make people as sick as earlier versions. Health teens are keeping a close eye on cicada. In December 2025, the World Health Organization labeled it a variant under monitoring to track any changes. For now, officials urge everyone to stay vigilant with testing and boosters as they watch

1:03how this plays out.