Overview
- CDC researchers report BA.3.2 in 23 countries and in the U.S. through four traveler swabs, five patient samples, three airplane wastewater samples, and 132 wastewater detections across 25 states as of February 2026.
- The lineage carries about 70 to 75 spike‑protein mutations that help it dodge antibodies in laboratory studies, and the 2025–26 vaccine showed the lowest neutralization against it among seven variants tested.
- In CDC sequencing from December 1, 2025 to March 12, 2026, BA.3.2 made up about 0.55% of U.S. cases, and early U.S. patients, including two older adults and a child, recovered without evidence of higher severity.
- European data show BA.3.2 cocirculating at roughly 10% to 40% in countries like Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands, and lab work found reduced lung cell entry that could limit its ability to dominate.
- Public health teams are leaning on wastewater and genomic surveillance to track spread and real‑world vaccine protection and to inform possible vaccine updates as sublineages BA.3.2.1 and BA.3.2.2 signal ongoing evolution.