Covid infections are climbing rapidly across England. (Image: Getty)
Covid cases in England have more than doubled in a month, while hospital admissions have increased more than fivefold as the XFG variant continues to spread. Official data shows infections reached their highest point since October last year, rising from 1,374 cases in August to 4,589 in September — an increase of roughly 230%. Hospital admissions climbed from 950 to 4,939 over the same period.
The sharp rise coincides with the continued circulation of XFG, sometimes referred to as “Stratus”, in the UK. The variant first emerged in Southeast Asia last year before spreading to North America and Europe.
Covid transmission often picks up in autumn as children return to school, but the increase this year has been far steeper than in 2025. Cases rose by approximately 63% between August and September last year, compared with the 230% jump recorded this year.
Another indicator of Covid prevalence points to a wider spread of the virus. The share of tests producing a positive result rose from 1.6% in August to above 8% by the end of September.
The actual number of infections may be greater, as the UKHSA data is drawn from NHS England reports and primarily captures people who become ill enough to need hospital treatment.
The XFG Covid variant continues to circulate in the UK. (Image: Getty)
People with less severe symptoms may therefore be missing from the official totals if they have not received a diagnosis or required hospital care.
Doctors have also described an increase in patients reporting symptoms linked to the latest strain.
London GP Dr Renee Hoenderkamp told the Daily Mail that she had seen more patients experiencing sore throats, headaches, runny noses and tiredness. She said the illness could feel “flu-like”, potentially leading some people to confuse it with seasonal influenza.
Some doctors have also reported gastrointestinal symptoms, such as diarrhoea, vomiting, reduced appetite and abdominal pain. Even so, experts have advised the public not to panic over the rise in cases.
Although infections have increased considerably, Covid levels remain lower than they were in September last year and the year before. Hospital admissions are also well below the figures recorded during the pandemic.
Weekly deaths linked to Covid have reportedly doubled since the start of August, although the latest total remains comparatively low at about 19 deaths per week.
Dr Alex Allen, a consultant epidemiologist at the UK Health Security Agency, said Covid activity had risen but was still at a low level across the UK. He explained that viruses evolve naturally and that XFG is closely related to variants that have been circulating for more than 12 months.
“We’re also not seeing any evidence that these are making people more ill or spreading faster than before,” he said.
Dr Allen said the autumn Covid vaccine had been formulated to offer protection against the strains currently circulating.
The UKHSA said it continues to track Covid variants in the UK and internationally, with updates to be provided through its routine surveillance reports.
