Covid infections in England have more than doubled in a month, while hospital admissions have risen more than fivefold as the XFG variant continues to circulate.
Cases in England have surged to their highest level since October last year, with official figures showing infections more than doubling between August and September.
Sharp rise in cases and admissions
The latest figures show 4,589 Covid cases were recorded in September, compared with 1,374 in August – an increase of around 230%. Hospital admissions also rose sharply, from 950 in August to 4,939 in September.
The increase comes as the new XFG variant, also known as “Stratus”, continues to circulate in the UK. The strain originated in Southeast Asia last year and has since spread across North America and Europe.
Faster spread than last year
While Covid typically becomes more prevalent as children return to school in the autumn, the increase this year has been considerably faster than last year. Cases rose by around 63% between August and September in 2025, compared with the 230% increase recorded this year.
A separate method of tracking Covid prevalence also suggests the virus is becoming more widespread. The proportion of Covid tests returning positive rose from 1.6% to more than 8% between August and the end of September.
The true number of infections could be higher still, as the UKHSA figures cited are based on NHS England reports that include only people who become sufficiently unwell to require hospital care. That means people experiencing milder symptoms may not be included in the figures if they have not been diagnosed or admitted to hospital.
Symptoms and expert reassurance
Doctors have also reported seeing more patients with symptoms associated with the current strain. Dr Renee Hoenderkamp, a London GP, told the Daily Mail she had noticed a change in the number of patients presenting with symptoms including sore throats, headaches, runny noses and fatigue. She described the illness as “flu-like”, meaning some people could mistake it for seasonal flu.
Other doctors have reportedly noticed gastrointestinal symptoms among some patients, including diarrhoea, vomiting, loss of appetite and stomach pain. However, experts have urged people not to be alarmed by the rise.
Despite the sharp increase, Covid levels remain below those recorded last September and the September before, while hospital admissions are also far below the levels seen during the pandemic. Weekly Covid deaths have reportedly doubled since early August, but the latest figure remains around 19 deaths a week.
Dr Alex Allen, consultant epidemiologist at the UK Health Security Agency, said Covid activity had increased but remained at low levels in the UK. He also said viruses naturally change over time and that XFG is closely related to strains that have been circulating for more than a year.
“We're also not seeing any evidence that these are making people more ill or spreading faster than before,” he said. Dr Allen added that this year's autumn Covid vaccine had been specifically designed to provide protection against the strains currently circulating.
The UKHSA said it is continuing to monitor Covid variants in the UK and overseas and will publish findings through its regular surveillance reports.
