COVID-19 BA.3.2 Variant First Detected in SFO Traveller: Experts Warn on Symptoms, Spread and Hidden Surge Risk

Laboratory sequencing helps track the newly detected BA.3.2 variant (Credit: Fusion Medical Animation/Unsplash)

Could the new COVID-19 BA.3.2 variant silently be spreading across the US?

The COVID-19 BA.3.2 variant has been detected in the United States for the first time in a traveller arriving at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) from the Netherlands, sparking concerns over potential hidden community spread. Experts are monitoring this heavily mutated Omicron subvariant closely, warning that its mutations could affect immunity even in vaccinated populations.