On March 29, the Department of Disease Control (Ministry of Health) said that the variant SARS-CoV-2 BA.3.2 is currently in the group of variants being monitored by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
According to the Ministry of Health, official updates from WHO and CDC show that BA.3.2 is considered a variant that needs to be monitored, but the level of risk to public health is still low compared to circulating Omicron strains.
WHO said the BA.3.2 variant was first recorded in South Africa on November 22, 2024. Some initial data show that this variant has certain changes in antigen characteristics, and is also capable of immunosupport in laboratory conditions.
However, to date, there is no evidence that BA.3.2 increases the severity of the disease, the number of hospitalizations or the risk of death. WHO also believes that current COVID-19 vaccines continue to be effective in preventing serious illnesses and deaths.
Faced with the above developments, the Ministry of Health said it will continue to closely monitor the epidemic situation and variants circulating around the world. The health sector is required to maintain monitoring activities, early detection of cases, risk assessment and be ready to deploy response measures when necessary.
The Ministry of Health recommends that people not panic but also not be subjective about information about new variants. People need to proactively monitor their health, maintain personal hygiene, and go to medical facilities when suspicious symptoms appear.
In particular, elderly people, people with underlying diseases, pregnant women and high-risk groups need to be vigilant to protect their health.
The new COVID-19 variant BA.3.2 has been detected in 4 US tourists, 5 patients in 4 states, along with many aircraft wastewater and wastewater samples in more than 20 states, showing a wider actual prevalence than observed.
Originating from Omicron, BA.3.2 was first recorded in South Africa in 2024, appeared in the US in June 2025 and exploded strongly from September 2025, and is now present in 23 countries. Researchers warn this variant is genetically distinct from the JN.1 strains circulating in the US.
BA.3.2 carries about 70–75 mutations on the thorn protein, which makes the virus more contagious and immune; laboratory research shows that it can avoid antibodies produced by the vaccine. The appearance of this variant may require updating of the current vaccine.
Variations have been detected in many US states, but the actual impact is still unclear. Although not the dominant strain, BA.3.2 is still causing concern in the context that other respiratory diseases such as flu and RSV are surpassing COVID-19, while the number of deaths, positives and hospitalizations for COVID-19 in the US are all decreasing.
