The number of positive COVID-19 tests among hospital patients has hit its highest level in 10 months, figures show. In England, the proportion of hospital patients with respiratory symptoms who tested positive for coronavirus reached 9.3% on August 29.

This is the highest hospital positivity rate since October 30 and 55% higher than it was a month earlier, according to data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Experts have told The i Paper that the hospital positivity rate is much higher than for the population as a whole and is not the same as the figure for those admitted to wards due to the virus. Professor Lawrence Young, a virologist at the University of Warwick, told the same publication that it wasn’t surprising positivity rates were at a 10-month high.

He said a combination of the return to work and school after the summer holidays on top of cooler weather and waning immunity will have contributed to an increase in the virus’s spread.

Mr Young said the same factors would be made worse as new variants of the virus develop and access to the free autumn-winter vaccine booster is limited to those aged 75 and over and the most clinically vulnerable.

A new strain of Covid has been circulating in Britain since August, making up a significant proportion of cases in England.

Stratus has two variants: XFG and XFG.3. Experts suggested the newer variant has a unique symptom compared with other strains in that it can lead people to develop a hoarse voice.

While it accounted for a proportion of new cases last month, experts appeared unconcerned by its having developed.

Dr Alex Allen, consultant epidemiologist of UKHSA said: “It is normal for viruses to mutate and change over time.”

The World Health Organisation designated XFG as a variant “under monitoring”. It said the additional public health risk it poses is evaluated as low at the worldwide level.

It also said data did not indicate the variant led to more severe illness or deaths compared with other Covid variants in circulation.

COVID-19 symptoms include: a high temperature or shivering; a new, continuous cough; loss or change to your sense of smell or taste; shortness of breath and feeling tired or exhausted.

Other symptoms are: an aching body, headache, a sore throat, a blocked or runny nose, loss of appetite, diarrhoea, feeling sick or being sick.

The symptoms are very similar to those of other illnesses, such as colds and flu, according to the NHS.