Evolution and viral properties of the SARS-CoV-2 BA.3.2 subvariant

The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariant BA.3.2 descends from BA.3. It emerged two years after BA.3 ceased to circulate and differs by 39 spike mutations from BA.3. Similar to BA.2.86, which circulated at low levels before giving rise to JN.1, BA.3.2 shows a low but persistent circulation globally. Here, we characterize the phylogenetic origin, infection in cell culture, and neutralization of BA.3.2 using live virus and blood plasma samples collected in South Africa at different stages of the Covid-19 pandemic. Like the Omicron BA.2.86 subvariant, we find that BA.3.2 likely emerged in Southern Africa. We also find that an 871 bp deletion removed ORF7 and ORF8. In H1299-ACE2 cells, BA.3.2 has lower cytotoxicity…