According to the report, this highly mutated strain has begun circulating in the state just as summer approaches, a time of year when COVID has started behaving in unexpected ways. Instead of peaking mainly in winter, experts say the virus has increasingly become more of a summer threat in California. In fact, the COVID surges seen during the summers of 2024 and 2025 were worse than the peaks recorded in the winters that came before them.
That trend is fueling fresh anxiety. While many people believe the danger has faded, the virus continues to evolve, and health specialists warn that it could once again pick up speed during the warmer months. The “Cicada” subvariant is drawing particular attention because early findings suggest it may be better at slipping past immunity built from past infections or vaccinations, raising the possibility of another seasonal wave.
But the biggest concern is not only the emergence of this new strain. It is the low vaccination coverage among seniors. The article notes that only 28.7% of Californians age 65 and older have received at least one dose of the updated COVID vaccine. That number is being viewed as deeply worrisome because it leaves many of the people most at risk of hospitalization, severe complications, and death without enough protection.
Experts stress that the threat is still real. Although immunity from previous infections and vaccinations has helped reduce the overall severity of COVID compared with the earliest years of the pandemic, the virus continues to pose a serious health risk — especially for older adults, immunocompromised people, pregnant women, nursing home residents, and those living with high-risk family members.
The numbers remain significant. During the 2024–2025 respiratory virus season in the United States, COVID was estimated to have caused between 45,000 and 64,000 deaths and between 390,000 and 550,000 hospitalizations. Those figures are a reminder that even though COVID no longer dominates daily headlines the way it once did, it is still taking a heavy toll.
Another notable point is that the “Cicada” subvariant has already been detected in multiple countries and among international travelers entering the United States. While it is not yet considered a dominant strain and there is no clear indication so far that it causes more severe disease, California health officials are serious enough about the trend that they are already warning of a possible COVID wave in late summer and early fall.
Doctors say the outlook is still uncertain. Some experts have compared it to a weather forecast: the clouds may be gathering, but no one yet knows whether it will turn into a major storm or just a light shower. What is clear, however, is that this is not the time for complacency.
Medical professionals are urging seniors who have not received a COVID shot within the last 12 months to get vaccinated as soon as possible. They also emphasize that the vaccines remain safe and effective, not only in lowering the risk of severe disease, but also in reducing the chances of developing long COVID, one of the pandemic’s most stubborn and disruptive long-term consequences.
Pregnant women are also part of the warning. Vaccination can help protect both mother and baby, and health experts noted that a large share of infants hospitalized with COVID were born to mothers who had not been vaccinated during pregnancy.
The larger message is clear: California may be heading into another COVID uptick just as many seniors remain underprotected. And while many people would like to believe the pandemic is fully behind us, experts say the virus is still here, still mutating, and still capable of hitting the most vulnerable the hardest.
This growing concern is not just about a new subvariant — it is about the risk of an older population facing it with too little protection.
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