New COVID-19 Variant Found in 25 US States, Says CDC

The agency cautioned it’s currently not clear whether BA.3.2 can cause more severe illness or more significant impacts on the U.S. health care system.

COVID-19 virus is seen in yellow, emerging from cells. NIAID

A COVID-19 variant reported in more than two-dozen other countries has been found in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a recent report.

The variant, BA.3.2, was found in a sample in November 2024 in South Africa, according to the CDC. As of Feb. 11, 2026, it has been found in 23 countries, and it’s now been detected in more than 140 samples that were collected in the United States and are present in 25 states, the agency said.