New Covid variant BA.3.2 spreads across US as experts stress vigilance

The BA 3.2 variant has been detected in 29 US states and Puerto Rico and is continuously growing in parts of Europe; however, it currently accounts for a low percentage of total infections in the US. The strain is notable for dozens of new mutations on its spike protein. Because of these changes, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified it as a variant under monitoring. In line with this, experts-including Dr. Jake Scott and Marc Veldhoen-emphasize that there is no evidence that BA.3.2 causes more severe diseases, higher hospitalization rates, or more deaths compared to previous Omicron strains.

It has been observed that while mutations can help the virus bypass some antibodies, “immune memory” from vaccines and prior infections continues to provide durable protection against severe illness. Current vaccines are working as intended, and although mutations might affect next year's vaccine updates, the existing shots still protect effectively against severe disease.

Although antibodies may lose some effectiveness against new mutations, vaccines and prior infections create a deeper layer of immune memory. While the variant appears more frequently in pediatric sequencing data, experts caution against assuming it preferentially infects children. Data may be skewed because children are more likely to be tested and sequenced in a clinical setting than adults with mild symptoms. 

Children may also show higher infection rates simply because they have had less cumulative exposure to various Covid-19 variants over the years compared to adults. Additionally, the focus of public health remains keeping people out of the hospital rather than preventing every minor infection.