In Ukraine confirmed the case of a new subvariant of the coronavirus infection line “Omicron” called “Cicada.” This was announced on April 22 by the Telegram Ministry of Health of Ukraine, informs the portal PromPolitInform.
The Cicada was first reported in the world in late 2024. The first case was recorded in November 2024, after which it gradually spread to at least 23 countries, the department said.
The Ministry of Health explained that due to such an episodic detection – when the subvariant “froze” and did not show active distribution for a long time – it was called “Cicada,” like insects that can remain dormant underground for years.
Diseases in Ukraine were discovered by specialists of the Center for Public Health during sequencing – a laboratory study that allows genetically deciphering the virus and identifying which mutations occurred in its genome.
As indicated in the Ministry of Health, the symptoms of “Cicada” do not differ from other variants of COVID-19: runny nose, fever, cough, headache, fatigue, loss of smell or taste, sometimes irritation of the eyes or rashes.
According to WHO estimates, the subvariant does not show signs that would indicate an increased epidemic risk or the ability to cause a new large-scale wave of morbidity.
