The Cicada variant of Covid-19 is a highly mutated strain detected in 23 countries, with health officials warning vaccines may be less effective against it
A positive and negative Covid-19 test (stock)(Image: Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
A fresh variant of the Covid-19 virus has started spreading throughout Europe.
The Cicada variant is now circulating in the US and 22 additional countries, with health authorities cautioning that it’s a heavily mutated strain and existing vaccines may offer reduced protection against it. Officially designated as BA.3.2, Cicada is a descendant of the Omicron subvariant of SARS-CoV-2.
The variant can carry between 70 to 75 mutations, which represents at least twice the number of mutations found in the JN.1 lineage…