The highly divergent SARS-CoV-2 variant BA.3.2, first detected in a South African respiratory sample on November 22, 2024, has spread worldwide. By February 11, 2026, it was reported in 23 countries. In the U.S., initial detections included four international travelers via nasal swabs, three airplane wastewater samples, and clinical samples from five patients, including two hospitalized older adults and a young child, all of whom survived. Genomic surveillance identified BA.3.2 in 132 wastewater samples across 25 states. This variant exhibits approximately 70-75 spike protein substitutions relative to current vaccine antigens, indicating potential immune evasion.
Key note: Continued multimodal genomic surveillance is crucial to track SARS-CoV-2 evolution and assess the public health impact of new variants like BA.3.2.