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4:56 PM 5th December 2024
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Flu And COVID-19 Surveillance Report Published - 5 December 2024



Image by Angelo Esslinger from Pixabay
Image by Angelo Esslinger from Pixabay
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)’s COVID-19, influenza (flu), RSV and norovirus surveillance bulletin (formally Weekly Winter Briefing) brings together the latest surveillance data, along with the latest public health advice for COVID-19, flu, RSV and norovirus.

In week 48:

Influenza (flu) activity increased across most indicators including increases in hospitalisation rates, and flu test positivity rates
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity increased overall and was circulating at medium levels of activity, with increases seen in most age groups, the highest activity was in under 5s — there was some sign of stabilisation in the number of infants needing seen in hospital emergency departments for bronchiolitis, the main clinical condition associated with RSV
COVID-19 activity remained stable across most indicators and was at baseline levels

For more information, see the:

flu, COVID-19 and RSV surveillance report
Norovirus surveillance report

Flu surveillance data for week 48

In week 48:


influenza activity increased across most indicators and was at low activity levels
influenza positivity increased with a weekly mean positivity rate of 11.1% in week 47 compared to 6.6% in the previous week, this is based on a percentage of people who test positive among those with symptoms tested through hospital laboratories
overall, influenza hospitalisations increased to 3.96 per 100,000 population, compared with 1.78 per 100,000 in the previous week
the weekly influenza-like illnesses (ILI) General Practice (GP) consultation rate increased to 6 per 100,000 compared with 4.5 per 100,000 in the previous week

For the 2024 to 2025 season’s vaccination programme, children and pregnant women have been eligible since 1 September, whilst clinical risk groups, older adults (those aged 65 years and over) and frontline healthcare workers have been eligible since 3 October.

Up to the end of week 48, vaccine uptake stands at:

36% of those under 65 years in a clinical risk group
31.9% in all pregnant women
71.4% in all those aged 65 years and over

39% of children aged 2 years of age and 40.1% of children aged 3 years of age have been vaccinated.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) surveillance data for week 48

In week 48:

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) activity increased further and was circulating at medium levels overall, with increases seen in most age groups
hospital admissions for RSV increased, while emergency department attendances for acute bronchiolitis showed some signs of stabilisation
RSV test positivity increased slightly to 15.5% compared with 13.6% in the previous week
overall, hospital admissions increased to 4.21 per 100,000 compared with 3.47 per 100,000 in the previous week
as we are now seeing more infant bronchiolitis caused by RSV, it’s important to know how to spot the signs — some of the main symptoms of a serious infection due to RSV include a cough that gets worse, shortness of breath, wheezy breathing, and difficulty feeding.

You should seek medical help if you’re worried your child is seriously unwell and further advice can be found on the NHS website.

Since 1 September 2024, pregnant women have been offered RSV vaccination around the time of their 28-week antenatal appointment. Having the vaccine in week 28 or within a few weeks of this will help build a good level of antibodies to pass on to their baby before birth. This will give the newborn baby the best protection, including if they are born early. Those who turn 75 and those age 75 to 79 are also eligible for a free NHS vaccine to protect them from RSV.

COVID-19 surveillance data for week 48

In week 48:


COVID-19 activity remained stable across most indicators and was circulating at baseline levels
COVID-19 hospitalisations remained stable at 1.85 per 100,000 compared to 1.82 per 100,000 in the previous week
COVID-19 ICU admissions remained stable at 0.07 per 100,000 compared with 0.05 per 100,000 in the previous week
there were 9 COVID-19 acute respiratory incidents reported in week 48
the highest hospital admission rate for COVID-19 was in those aged 85 years and over — the rate decreased to 16.23 per 100,000 compared with 18.01 per 100,000 in the previous week
the highest hospital admission rate was in the North-East, which remained stable at 2.32 per 100,000, compared with 2.40 in the previous week
the highest hospital admission rate for COVID-19 was in those aged 85 years and over — the rate decreased to 16.23 per 100,000 compared with 18.01 per 100,000 in the previous week.
up to the end of week 47, 22.4% of those under 65 years in a clinical risk group and 57.2% of all people aged over 65 years old, who are living and resident in England had been vaccinated with an Autumn 2024 booster dose

Dr Alexander Allen, Consultant Epidemiologist at UKHSA, said:
"Flu has been a major cause of the rise in winter illness over the past week, with emergency department visits also increasing. RSV continues to spread at higher levels across all age groups. For the first time this year, RSV vaccinations are being offered to those who are 28 weeks pregnant or more, as well as individuals aged 75 to 79 years.

"Anyone still eligible for the flu, COVID-19 or RSV vaccines should get booked in ahead of the busy winter holiday period, when we expect flu, and other respiratory viruses to spread between people more easily. Vaccination offers the best defense against these diseases, and now is the time to get protected before Christmas.

"If you are showing symptoms of flu or COVID-19 such as a high temperature, cough, and feeling tired and achy, try to limit your contact with others, especially those who are vulnerable. Washing your hands regularly and using tissues can reduce the spread of respiratory illnesses."

Norovirus surveillance data for week 47

In week 47:


this season the increase in reporting has begun earlier than usual, with norovirus activity in the 2-week period between 11 to 24 November 2024 43.9% higher than the previous 2-week period — total reports were more than double the 5-season average for the same 2-week period
Rotavirus reporting has started to increase in recent weeks but was within expected levels during the 2-week period of weeks 45 and 46
the number of norovirus outbreaks reported to the Hospital Norovirus Outbreak Reporting System (HNORS) since the start of the 2024/2025 season is 23.6% higher than the 5-season average
while some of the increased reporting may be attributable to the increased use of PCR multiplex technology (capable of detecting multiple gastrointestinal pathogens in one test), it is likely that the emergence of an unusual norovirus genotype, GII.17, as well as changes in the epidemiology following the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors are contributing to the observed rise
during the 2024/2025 season to date, the majority (87.6%) of samples characterised were norovirus genogroup 2 (GII), of which the most frequently identified genotype was GII.17 (63.4%), an increase of this genotype has also been observed in other counties during 2024 and is being closely monitored — at present there is no indication it leads to more severe illness (note: it isn’t accurate to refer to GII.17 as ‘Kawasaki’ and this term is causing confusion with Kawasaki Disease, which is an unrelated disease)
lab reports represent just a small proportion of total norovirus cases and it has been estimated that for every case of norovirus reported to national surveillance in the UK there are about 288 in the community that go unreported, representing an annual burden of around 3 million cases
Norovirus symptoms include nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea but can also include a high temperature, abdominal pain and aching limbs — Norovirus infection can cause dehydration, especially in vulnerable groups such as young children and older or immunocompromised people, so if you do get ill it is important to drink plenty of fluids during that time

Amy Douglas, epidemiologist at UKHSA, said:
"Norovirus activity is continuing to rise, as expected at this time of year. If you’ve caught the virus, take steps to avoid passing the infection on. If you have symptoms like diarrhoea or vomiting, do not 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 in these settings.

"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."