A new COVID-19 strain, known as Cicada COVID variant BA.3.2, has been detected in Ontario, joining Canada among the growing list of countries reporting cases.
According to Public Health Ontario, 21 infections were identified in the province between January 18 and February 14.
The variant was first detected in South Africa in November 2024 and has since spread widely, with cases reported in at least 23 countries and several US states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Despite its global spread, experts say the variant is unlikely to significantly change how COVID-19 affects daily life.
In an interview with CP24, infectious disease expert Isaac Bogoch said: “The range of symptoms will still be the same, and prevention will still be the same. So, in terms of people’s daily lives, what does it look like for me? What does it look like for the community? Nothing. There’s not going to be anything new compared to what we’ve seen in the past, let’s call it three years or so.”
Bogoch said widespread immunity through vaccination and prior infection has reduced the overall impact of the virus.
“That’s why it has turned into a virus that has completely overwhelmed our health care system for some years, a virus that is still attacking, it needs to be respected, but primarily it is causing significant disease in the later stages of life and in people who are immunocompromised,” he said.
