Worrying COVID 'Cicada' Variant Spreads as US Maps Go Dark
Summary
Funding for the CDC’s National Wastewater Surveillance System is being cut from $125 million to $25 million as part of President Donald Trump’s budget plan. This reduction comes while a new COVID-19 variant called BA.3.2, or "cicada," is spreading across the U.S., raising concerns about losing an important tool for tracking the virus’s spread.Key Facts
- The CDC’s wastewater surveillance program helps detect COVID-19 and other diseases by testing community sewage.
- Funding for this program will drop from about $125 million a year to $25 million, ending support beyond September 30, 2026.
- Experts warn cutting funding could harm early detection of outbreaks and increase future healthcare costs.
- The "cicada" COVID-19 variant has been found in 25 states and may partly evade immunity from vaccines or past infections.
- Symptoms of the cicada variant are similar to other COVID-19 cases but it does not appear to cause more severe illness.
- Wastewater surveillance found the variant in multiple states including California, Louisiana, Maine, and Ohio.
- Scientists debate whether vaccines should be updated to target this or other variants like XFG to better protect people.
- The surveillance system is considered a cost-effective way to monitor virus spread and emerging health threats.
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