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Report monitoring respiratory viruses for the 2026/27 season.

Latest update

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

Respiratory viruses, in week 2 November to 8 November 2026

• Influenza activity increased and is circulating at low levels
• COVID-19 activity was stable and is circulating at low levels
• Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) hospital activity increased to low levels with other indicators circulating within baseline levels

Dr Conall Watson, Consultant Epidemiologist at UK Health Security Agency:

Flu cases have remained at low levels over the past week with our respiratory virus surveillance across GPs, hospitals and the community showing some small increases, with levels now similar to this time last year. Both RSV and COVID-19 remain at low levels.

We expect to see flu increasing in the coming weeks as is usual as we head into winter. If you’re eligible for a free NHS vaccine don’t miss out and regret it later. Every year thousands of unvaccinated vulnerable people end up severely ill in hospital, some in intensive care. While it may not completely stop you getting flu, a vaccine will help reduce the severity of the disease – and could save your life.

The flu, COVID-19 and RSV surveillance report and the national norovirus and rotavirus surveillance reports: 2026 to 2027 season are published weekly. For more detailed data on surveillance indicators for the 3 major respiratory viruses see below.

Flu surveillance data for week 45 (2 November to 8 November 2026)

• Influenza activity increased and is circulating at low levels
• Influenza positivity from laboratory surveillance remained stable with a positivity rate of 8.1% compared with 7.8% on the previous week
• overall, the flu hospitalisation rate increased to 3.65 per 100,000 compared with 3.00 per 100,000 in the previous week

COVID-19 surveillance data for week 45 (2 November to 8 November 2026)

• COVID-19 activity was stable and is circulating at low levels
• COVID-19 positivity from laboratory surveillance remained stable with a positivity rate of 7.2% compared with 7.4% on the previous week
• COVID-19 hospitalisations were stable at 2.22 per 100,000 compared with 2.23 per 100,000 in the previous week
• COVID-19 ICU/HDU admissions increased to 0.07 per 100,000 compared with 0.05 per 100,000 in the previous week

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) surveillance data for week 45 (2 November to 8 November 2026)

• RSV hospital activity increased to low levels with other indicators circulating within baseline levels
• RSV positivity from laboratory surveillance increased slightly to 3.2% compared with 2.9% in the previous week
• overall weekly hospital admission rates for RSV increased to 1.30 per 100,000 compared with 0.89 per 100,000 in the previous week

Norovirus surveillance data for weeks 44 and 45 (26 November to 8 November 2026)

• Norovirus activity has increased in recent weeks but remains within expected levels
• overall, norovirus laboratory reports between weeks 44 and 45 of 2026 (26 October 2026 to 8 November 2026) were 8.7% lower than the 5-season average for the same 2-week period
• Rotavirus activity has varied in recent weeks but remains within expected levels
• Rotavirus activity between weeks 44 and 45 of 2026 was 25% higher than the 5-season average for the same 2-week period.
• we will resume publishing Hospital Norovirus Outbreak Reporting System (HNORS) data on Thursday 26 November
• during the 2026/2027 season to date, the majority (89.2%) of samples characterised were norovirus genogroup 2 (GII), of which the most frequent genotypes identified were GII.4[P16] (23.8%) and GII.9[P7] (19.5%)
• 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 become ill, it is important to drink plenty of fluids during that time

Amy Douglas, Lead Epidemiologist at UKHSA, said:

While norovirus remains within expected levels, we’re starting to see an increase in reported cases and expect the rates to increase as we head into winter. It’s really important that we all take simple steps to help stop the spread.

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.

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 to those most vulnerable.