UKHSA Weekly Winter Surveillance Bulletin

This weekly bulletin brings together the latest surveillance data, along with the latest public health advice for flu, COVID-19, RSV and other viruses.

Latest

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is urging all eligible groups to come forward for their free flu vaccination now. This is because the latest data published today suggests that flu is increasing early this year and hospitalisations starting to rise.

Current flu levels are still within the typical seasonal range and similar to what was seen in 2022 to 2023 when there was a relatively early flu season following the COVID-19 pandemic. Latest data suggests that cases amongst younger adults and school-age children are driving the early flu signal.

UKHSA is advising everyone over 65, pregnant, or in a clinical risk group to book their flu vaccination appointment.

Parents are reminded to sign and return consent forms to schools, or to book an appointment for children aged 2 to 3 years, to ensure their child gets vaccinated against flu.

This weekly bulletin brings together the latest surveillance data, along with the latest public health advice for flu, COVID-19, RSV and other viruses.

In week 41:

• influenza activity showed increasing activity across indicators, particularly in children, but still at baseline levels
• COVID-19 activity showed slightly decreasing activity, and circulating at medium levels
• respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) showed increasing activity across some indicators but still circulating at baseline levels

The flu, COVID-19 and RSV surveillance report is published weekly.

Flu surveillance data for week 41

In week 41:

• flu showed increasing activity across indicators, particularly in children, and was at baseline levels
• flu positivity increased with a weekly mean positivity rate of 5.0%, compared to 3.3% in the previous week - this is based on a percentage of people who test positive in hospital.

Overall, flu hospitalisations increased from 0.73 per 100,000 to 1.27 per 100,000.

The weekly influenza-like illnesses (ILI) General Practice (GP) consultation rate increased to 5.4 per 100,000 compared with 4.2 per 100,000 in the previous week.

COVID-19 surveillance data for week 41

In week 41:

• COVID-19 showed slightly decreasing activity, circulating at medium levels
• COVID-19 positivity in hospital settings decreased slightly with a weekly mean positivity rate of 12% compared with 13.1% in the previous week
• COVID-19 hospitalisations slightly decreased to 4.09 per 100,000 compared to 4.50 per 100,000 in the previous week
• COVID-19 ICU admissions decreased to 0.09 per 100,000 compared with 0.14 per 100,000 in the previous week

There were 69 COVID-19 acute respiratory incidents reported in total, with:

• 57 incidents in care homes
• 9 incidents in hospitals
• 1 in educational settings
• 2 in other settings

Those aged 85 years and over had the highest hospital admission rate, which remained stable at 46.23 per 100,000 compared with 47.29 per 100,000 in the previous week.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) surveillance data for week 41:

In week 41:

• RSV showed increasing activity across some indicators and was circulating at baseline levels
• emergency department attendances for acute bronchiolitis remained stable

The overall weekly hospital admission rate for RSV increased 0.18 per 100,000 compared with 0.14 per 100,000 in the previous week.

In children aged under 5 years, the hospitalisation rate for RSV increased to 2.68 per 100,000 (compared with 1.62 per 100,000 in the previous week).

Dr Conall Watson, Consultant Epidemiologist at UKHSA, said:

This week's data is showing a rise in positive tests for flu, particularly in children and younger adults, as well as an increase in GP and A&E attendances. It is relatively early in the autumn to be seeing these increases and we will be monitoring this closely in the coming weeks.

It's absolutely crucial that everyone eligible for a flu vaccine books their appointment - it could make all the difference in avoiding severe illness and hospitalisation.

Parents should complete school flu consent forms or arrange an appointment for eligible preschoolers at the GP - the vaccine is usually given as a simple nasal spray and could stop your child getting very unwell, as well as making them less likely to pass on flu to those around them, including grandparents and those with long term health conditions. They can usually have the flu vaccine even if they have a cold, which is very common at this time of the year.

It's also important to remember the simple steps that we can all take to protect against respiratory illnesses. Anyone experiencing flu or COVID-19 symptoms, including high temperature, cough and feeling tired or achy, should try to minimise contact with others, particularly with those who may be vulnerable. If you have symptoms and need to leave the house, our advice remains that you should consider wearing a face covering. Washing hands regularly and using and disposing tissues in bins can reduce the spread of these illnesses, as can ensuring that indoor areas are well ventilated.

Norovirus surveillance data between weeks 40 to 41:

Between weeks 40 to 41:

• norovirus activity has remained low and was within expected levels during the 2-week period between 29 September and 12 October - however, norovirus activity has increased from the previous 2-week period
• overall, norovirus laboratory reports between weeks 40 and 41 were 7.0% lower than the 5-season average for the same 2-week period
• the rate remained low across all regions and age groups but was highest among children aged 0 to 4 years
• rotavirus reporting between weeks 40 and 41 of 2025 was 17.0% lower than the 5-season average for the same 2-week period
• the number of norovirus outbreaks reported to the Hospital Norovirus Outbreak Reporting System (HNORS) since the start of the 2025/2026 season is 73.1% lower than the 5-season average
• during the 2025/2026 season to date, the majority (84.0%) of samples characterised were norovirus genogroup 2 (GII), of which the most frequent genotype identified was GII.4 (26.0%)

Norovirus symptoms include nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea but can also include a high temperature, abdominal pain and aching limbs.

Norovirus infections can cause dehydration, especially in vulnerable groups such as young children and older or immunocompromised people, so if you do get ill it is important to drink plenty of fluids during that time

Hannah Charles, Consultant Epidemiologist, at UKHSA, said:

While norovirus activity remains low and within expected levels, we have seen a slight increase in cases in recent weeks. As we approach the colder months, it's important to remember the simple steps we can all take to prevent norovirus spreading.

If you have diarrhoea and vomiting, don't return to work, school or nursery until 48 hours after your symptoms have stopped and don't prepare food for others in that time either. If you are unwell, avoid visiting people in hospitals and care homes to prevent passing on the infection in these settings.

Washing your hands with soap and warm water and using bleach-based products to clean surfaces will also help stop infections from spreading. Alcohol gels do not kill norovirus so don't rely on these alone.

Previous

Thursday, 9 October 2025

In week 40:

• influenza activity showed increasing activity across indicators, particularly in young adults, and was at baseline levels
• COVID-19 activity showed increasing activity, circulating at medium levels
• respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) showed mixed activity across indicators and was circulating at baseline levels

The flu, COVID-19 and RSV surveillance report is published weekly.

Flu surveillance data for week 40:

• flu activity showed increasing activity across indicators, particularly in young adults, and was at baseline levels
• flu positivity increased with a weekly mean positivity rate of 3.3%, compared to 1.9% in the previous week - this is based on a percentage of people who test positive in hospital among those with symptoms tested
• overall, flu hospitalisations were at baseline levels, at 0.67 per 100,000. This surveillance formally starts in week 40 so comparisons to the previous week are not possible
• in week 40, the weekly influenza-like illnesses (ILI) General Practice (GP) consultation rate increased to 4.2 per 100,000 compared with 3.3 per 100,000 in the previous week

COVID-19 surveillance data for week 40:

• COVID-19 activity showed increasing activity, circulating at medium levels
• COVID-19 positivity in hospital settings increased with a weekly mean positivity rate of 12.9% compared with 11.7% in the previous week
• COVID-19 hospitalisations increased to 4.65 per 100,000 compared to 3.41 per 100,000 in the previous week
• COVID-19 ICU admissions increased to 0.14 per 100,000 compared with 0.10 per 100,000 in the previous week
• there were 78 COVID-19 acute respiratory incidents reported in week 40 in total, with 70 incidents in care homes, 4 incidents in hospitals, 2 in educational settings and 2 in other settings
• those aged 85 years and over had the highest hospital admission rate, which increased to 48.56 per 100,000 compared with 34.17 per 100,000 in the previous week

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) surveillance data for week 40:

• respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) showed mixed activity across indicators and was circulating at baseline levels
• emergency department attendances for acute bronchiolitis remained stable
• the overall weekly hospital admission rate for RSV was stable at 0.14 per 100,000 compared with 0.14 per 100,000 in the previous week.

Dr Jamie Lopez Bernal, Consultant Epidemiologist at UKHSA, said:

The first weekly surveillance report of the 2025/26 season shows that both flu and COVID-19 positivity continue to increase, so everyone eligible for vaccination should take it up now to ensure optimal protection. The NHS national booking system has opened for all eligible groups to book their flu and COVID-19 vaccination appointments.

Remember that there are simple steps everyone can take to protect themselves and others. Anyone experiencing flu or COVID-19 symptoms, including high temperature, cough and feeling tired or achy, should try to minimise contact with others, particularly with those who may be vulnerable. If you have symptoms and need to leave the house, our advice remains that you should consider wearing a face covering. Washing hands regularly and using and disposing tissues in bins can reduce the spread of respiratory illnesses, as can ensuring that indoor areas are well ventilated.

Norovirus surveillance data between weeks 39 to 40:

• norovirus activity has remained low and was within expected levels during this two-week period between 22 September and 5 October
• overall, norovirus laboratory reports between 22 September and 5 October were 20.6% lower than the 5-season average for the same 2-week period
• the rate remained low across all regions and age groups but was highest among children aged 0 to 4 years
• rotavirus reporting between weeks 39 and 40 of 2025 was 36.6% lower than the 5-season average for the same 2-week period
• the number of norovirus outbreaks reported to the Hospital Norovirus Outbreak Reporting System (HNORS) since the start of the 2025/2026 season is 69.6% lower than the 5-season average
• during the 2025/2026 season to date, the majority (84.4%) of samples characterised were norovirus genogroup 2 (GII), of which the most frequent genotypes identified were GII.4 (26.4%) and GII.17 (26.4%)
• norovirus symptoms include nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea but can also include a high temperature, abdominal pain and aching limbs (norovirus infections can cause dehydration, especially in vulnerable groups such as young children and older or immunocompromised people, so if you do get ill it is important to drink plenty of fluids during that time)

Amy Douglas, Lead Epidemiologist at UKHSA, said:

Norovirus activity has remained low and within expected levels in recent weeks, but it's important to remember the simple steps we can take to prevent the spread of norovirus as we approach the colder months.

If you have diarrhoea and vomiting, do not return to work, school or nursery until 48 hours after your symptoms have stopped and do not prepare food for others in that time either. If you are unwell, avoid visiting people in hospitals and care homes to prevent passing on the infection in these settings.

Washing your hands with soap and warm water and using bleach-based products to clean surfaces will also help stop infections from spreading. Alcohol gels do not kill norovirus so do not rely on these alone.