FLORIDA – A newly identified COVID-19 variant is being monitored by federal health agencies after spreading to multiple states, including Florida. While early signs are raising some concern, experts say it’s still too soon to fully understand how significant the strain could become.

What we know:

The new variant, known as BA.3.2 and nicknamed the “Cicada variant,” was first detected in South Africa in November 2024. It later appeared in the United States in 2025 and has since been identified in roughly 25 states through wastewater surveillance. 

In Florida, only two cases had been reported to the CDC as of mid-February. Experts say that number remains very small compared to overall COVID-19 cases nationwide.

The World Health Organization has classified the variant as “under monitoring,” meaning it is being tracked but is not currently considered a major global threat.

What we don’t know:

Health experts say it’s still too early to determine how contagious or severe the variant may be.

It’s also unclear whether the mutations seen in BA.3.2 will significantly impact vaccine effectiveness or immunity from prior infections. More data is expected in the coming months.

What they’re saying:

Dr. Steven Goldberg, Chief Medical Officer of HealthTrackRX, says the variant is showing some early warning signs.

He notes the strain has multiple mutations that could potentially make it more resistant to existing immunity, though that has not been confirmed.

Goldberg said, “The number affected with this particular variant in the U.S. right now is still very, very small. It’s like one in 100 COVID cases are from this particular variant.”

Symptoms:

Doctors say symptoms linked to the Cicada variant appear similar to other COVID-19 strains and respiratory infections, including:

• Fever
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Nasal congestion
• Body aches

Big picture view:

The variant is becoming more dominant in parts of Europe, which is drawing attention from U.S. health officials.

Still, experts stress there is no immediate cause for alarm. Instead, they say this is a situation to watch closely as more information becomes available.

Health officials expect to have a clearer understanding of the variant’s spread and impact by early summer.

For now, experts recommend staying vigilant and continuing to follow general public health guidance if needed.

A 53-year-old Key West man was arrested on DUI and drug charges after deputies say he crashed an e-bike into a tricycle while intoxicated.

According to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, the crash happened around 10:26 p.m. on Wednesday, April 1, near South College Road and U.S. 1 in Key West. Deputies said there were no serious injuries reported.

Authorities identified the man as Christian Everett Madrid. He faces charges of driving under the influence, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and smuggling contraband into a detention facility.

Investigators said Madrid was riding an e-bike when he collided with an adult riding a tricycle. The other rider told deputies that Madrid ran into him and appeared to be intoxicated.

Deputies said Saturday that Madrid was taken into custody after failing field sobriety exercises at the scene.

While being booked into jail, authorities said approximately three marijuana cigarettes were found in his possession, leading to the additional contraband charge.

What Florida law says about riding an e-bike while intoxicated

Under Florida law, electric bicycles are generally treated like traditional bicycles, meaning riders are not required to have a driver’s license and are not subject to the same registration rules as motor vehicles. However, when it comes to impairment, the law still applies.

Florida’s DUI statute makes it illegal to operate any vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs to the extent that normal faculties are impaired. Courts in Florida have interpreted “vehicle” broadly, and that can include bicycles and e-bikes in certain cases, according to law firm The Ticket Clinic.

A first-time DUI conviction in Florida can carry penalties including fines ranging from $500 to $1,000, up to six months in jail, probation, and mandatory substance abuse education. Additional charges, such as drug possession or bringing contraband into a jail, can increase potential penalties.

SUNRISE, Fla. — Maybe the end for the Florida Panthers came when Brad Marchand was shut down for the season last month. Or maybe it was when Seth Jones broke his collarbone and wound up missing 26 games. Or, maybe it was 20 minutes into training camp, when captain Aleksander Barkov blew out his knee.

Nobody knows when the season was officially doomed.

Doesn’t matter now. The Panthers are out.

Games remain, but the Panthers were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention on Saturday with a 9-4 loss to Pittsburgh. For the first time since 2022, a team other than Florida will represent the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup Final and for the first time since 2023, a team other than the Panthers will be the one hoisting the greatest chalice in sports.

They’ve known this was coming for a while. It’s just official now.

“Obviously, no one’s happy about the situation,” Panthers forward Sam Bennett said. “But it’s about really just sticking together as a team and going through this as a team. We’re all sticking together. It’s not fun sometimes. But we’re just trying to make the best of it.”

By the time the regular season ends in a couple of weeks, the Panthers will have gone well past the 500 man-games-missed mark this season because of injury. Barkov, the captain who Panthers coach Paul Maurice believes is the best player in the world, missed the entire year and a chance to captain Finland at the Milan Cortina Olympics as well.

Jonah Gadjovich will wind up missing 72 games with an upper-body injury. Tomas Nosek missed 60 games with a knee injury. Dmitry Kulikov is up to 58 games missed, most with a shoulder injury and now a badly broken nose. Matthew Tkachuk missed 47 games while recovering from surgery to repair a sports hernia and torn adductor.

Cole Schwindt missed more than half of the season with a pair of injuries. Marchand will miss 29 games and Jones missed 26. Niko Mikkola, Evan Rodrigues, Sam Reinhart, Uvis Balinskis and Anton Lundell were all shut down for the season at least a couple of weeks ago. Aaron Ekblad broke a finger this week and he won’t play until next season.

And it was no laughing matter at the time, but Eetu Luostarinen missed nine games — after getting burned while barbecuing.

“I’d say we had some adversity,” Maurice said.

Add it all up, and Florida is likely going to finish the season with no more than eight players who dressed in last year’s Cup-clinching win against Edmonton on the ice. The Panthers bent, bent, bent all season and finally broke.

“They’ve been true to it,” Maurice said, speaking of the team’s culture. “And we’ve had some tough nights, but the bench has been right and they’re cheering for each other. They’re engaged in the game. They’re talking about the game. It’s just, you’re just not going to be able to produce, not going to be able to execute a whole bunch of things that you normally expect to.”

Put simply, the Panthers might just need a break.

They were in 67 playoff games over the last three seasons, the most in the NHL — and unbelievably, more than 17 other franchises played in that span combined. They’ve logged tons of miles, taken tons of hits and done it all with very short offseasons because their Cup runs kept stretching into June while non-playoff teams are done in April.

“I think we all know … how good this hockey team is,” Bennett said. “We know how good we’re going to be when we have everyone healthy and everyone back. So, there’s obviously a ton of excitement, I think, in anticipation for next year.”

With good reason. Hockey operations president and general manager Bill Zito has had the vast majority of the core under contract for some time: Barkov, Tkachuk, Reinhart, Bennett, Marchand, Carter Verhaeghe, Jones, Ekblad, Gustav Forsling, Lundell, Rodrigues, Mikkola, Kulikov, Balinskis, Reinhardt and Jesper Boqvist are among those who are signed. The biggest question is at goalie, where Sergei Bobrovsky will be a free agent, but one who is believed to want to remain with the Panthers.

All that talk can wait, at least for a couple of more weeks.

“We’re just focused on this year,” Jones said after the loss Saturday.

Things, if the Panthers are lucky, should look very different next season. Or put another way, things could look like how they were in June 2024 and June 2025, when Florida won the Cup. The celebrations started like this: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman would say a few words, then hand the Cup to Barkov, who would skate away and hoist.

The Panthers felt like that could have happened again this season. For about 20 minutes, anyway. It was at the 20-minute mark of the first full-team training camp practice where Barkov blew out the ACL and MCL in his knee.

“You know right away. Oh, you knew it was bad,” Maurice said. “He’s a tough one. He doesn’t go down lightly. It was as close to being at a funeral as there can be. The 19th minute, we are humpin’, up and down the ice. And I’m taking it all in thinking, ‘Oh, we’re right there. These guys are focused, they’re fit, they’re pushing themselves. I’m not even yelling at them anymore.’ And then that happens.

“The next three days were a prolonged funeral service. We didn’t know it was going to be for our season.”

If the Panthers were in the playoff chase, Barkov might be playing now. If there was a Game 1 of Round 1 sometime in the next couple weeks, the expectation is Barkov would have been ready. And now, the Panthers will pivot to Game 1 of next season.

They won’t be the defending Cup champions anymore. It might actually rekindle the desire to win it again.

“Bill Zito’s vision for this team has just been so bang on,” Maurice said. “We have full faith in the vision that he has for the group, and the core is going to be here next year. We’ll all be excited about that.”