Vaccine institute debunks “Cicada” Covid myth
National Vaccine Institute has debunked claims that the Covid “Cicada” variant came from crickets, saying it remains under monitoring and vaccines still protect against severe illness
Thailand’s National Vaccine Institute has debunked claims circulating online that the Covid-19 variant nicknamed “Cicada” came from crickets, saying the information is misleading and urging the public not to share it.
The institute said the Cicada variant is real, but the name refers to BA.3.2, a subvariant of Omicron, and not to a virus originating from crickets. It said the nickname was given because the strain appeared after a long period of silence, similar to cicadas, which remain underground for years before emerging.
According to the institute, BA.3.2 has been detected in several countries, including the United States, but still accounts for only a very small share of global cases, at around 1–2% of all circulating variants. It is currently classified as a Variant Under Monitoring.
The World Health Organization has said there is currently no evidence that BA.3.2 poses a greater public health risk than other circulating variants. While the strain carries substantial antigenic drift and reduced neutralisation in laboratory studies, WHO says currently approved Covid vaccines are still expected to provide protection against severe disease.
The institute also stressed that BA.3.2 is being closely watched because of its high number of mutations, but said the situation does not warrant alarm. It reaffirmed that vaccination remains effective, particularly in preventing severe symptoms.
