Latest weekly winter virus surveillance data

22 Oct 2026 02:14 PM

Report monitoring respiratory viruses for the 2026/27 season.

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.

Latest update

Respiratory viruses, in week 12 to 18 October 2026

• Influenza activity remained stable and is circulating at baseline levels.
• COVID-19 activity showed mixed trends and is circulating at low levels
• Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity showed mixed trends and is circulating at baseline levels

Dr Jamie LopezBernal, Consultant Epidemiologist at UKHSA, said:

Our surveillance for the past week shows flu continues to remain at low levels and the early rise we saw in previous weeks has slowed and COVID-19 also remains at low levels, but we’ll be closely tracking all the major respiratory viruses right through the winter, so we can spot trends early and keep the public informed.

While currently these virus levels are low, we can’t easily predict what may happen over the coming weeks and vaccination remains our best defence. If eligible book your free NHS flu, COVID-19 or RSV vaccine or ensure your child receives their easy and painless nose spray flu vaccine as soon as possible, before viruses start circulating more widely this winter.

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 42 (12 to 18 October 2026): 

• Influenza activity remained stable and is circulating at baseline levels.
• Influenza positivity from laboratory surveillance remained stable with a positivity rate of 6.3% compared with 6.2% in the previous week
• overall, flu hospitalisations increased slightly to 1.94 per 100,000 compared with 1.81 per 100,000 in the previous week

COVID-19 surveillance data for week 42 (12 to 18 October 2026): 

• COVID-19 activity showed mixed trends and is circulating at low levels
• COVID-19 positivity from laboratory surveillance remained stable with a positivity rate of 8.9% compared with 8.8% in the previous week.
• COVID-19 hospitalisations increased slightly to 2.64 per 100,000 compared with 2.48 per 100,000 in the previous week
• COVID-19 ICU/HDU admissions remained low at 0.05 per 100,000 compared with 0.06 per 100,000 in the previous week

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) surveillance data for week 42 (12 to 18 October 2026): 

• RSV activity showed mixed trends and is circulating at baseline levels.
• RSV positivity from laboratory surveillance remained stable at 0.9% compared with 0.8% in the previous week
• the overall weekly hospital admission rate for RSV increased to 0.33 per 100,000 compared with 0.23 per 100,000 in the previous week

Norovirus surveillance data between weeks 41 and 42 (5 to 18 October 2026):

Norovirus activity has decreased slightly in recent weeks but remains within expected levels.

Overall, norovirus laboratory reports between weeks 41 and 42 of 2026 (5 October 2026 to 18 October 2026) were 32.6% lower than the 5-season average for the same 2-week period.

Rotavirus activity has decreased in recent weeks but remains within expected levels.

Rotavirus activity between weeks 41 and 42 of 2026 was 9.8% higher 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 42.0% lower than the 5-season average.

During the 2025/2026 season to date, the majority (87.8%) of samples characterised were norovirus genogroup 2 (GII), of which the most frequent genotypes identified were GII.4[P16] (25.0%) and GII.9[P7] (22.3%).

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.

There are simple steps we can all take to help stop norovirus from spreading. Wash your hands with soap and warm water and use bleach-based products on clean surfaces to help stop infections 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 during that time either. If you are unwell, avoid visiting people in hospitals and care homes to prevent passing on the infection to those who are most vulnerable.