In recent weeks, there has been an uptick in covid-19 cases in Guatemala and, although official data does not show this behavior, the Roosevelt and General San Juan de Dios They report nearly a hundred cases and reinforce prevention measures.
According to the latest genomic sequencing report of SARS-CoV-2 – the virus that causes covid-19 -, carried out by the National Health Laboratory (LNS), the variant that would be circulating in the country is omicronand the XFG.14.1 It is the prevalent lineage.
The variant established itself as the predominant one on a global scale and began to be documented in January 2025, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) control panel on covid-19. This arose from a genetic combination of the LF.7 and LP.8.1.2 lineages.
The WHO classified it as a variant under surveillance and indicated that, according to the data collected, it did not cause more severe illness or higher mortality compared to other variants in circulation.
The last sequencing that the LNS did on covid-19 in Guatemala was in December 2025. He indicated that another has not been carried out recently because no positive SARS-CoV-2 samples have been received, but that collection for new analyzes would begin this week.
For her part, Nancy Sandoval, head of the Department of Internal Medicine Service of the Infectious Diseases Unit of the Roosevelt Hospital in Guatemala and vice president of the Pan American Association of Infectious Diseases (API), states that the disease is currently under international surveillance. variant BA.3.2informally called “Cicada”, which is a lineage descended from omicron BA.3.
Since last December 5, the WHO has been monitoring the evolution of this variant, which by March 2026 was already present in some 23 countriesas reported by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The infectologist pointed out that, so far, there is no evidence that BA.3.2 causes a more serious illness and that the symptoms are not different from those caused by other variants.
The symptoms are similar to those of a bad cold or flu.: fever, sore throat and chills; in some cases, severe sore throat and persistent headache, cough and nasal congestion. The cases remain between mild and moderate, and the patients recover without the need for hospitalization, according to the doctor.
While Covid-19 vaccines may reduce the risk of severity associated with the BA.3.2 variant, some studies suggest that the protection they offer against symptomatic infection is less.
Sandoval’s recommendation is to consult a doctor if any symptoms occur, mainly in populations at higher risk, such as patients with comorbidities (diabetes, kidney disease, heart disease, immunosuppression or obesity), ppeople over 50 years old, pregnant or young children.
The problem is that in Guatemala the biological is not available to the population. The priority at this time, according to health centers consulted, is vaccination against measles.