England Covid infections more than double as XFG variant spreads
England is experiencing a surge in COVID-19 infections, with cases more than doubling in the past month and hospital admissions rising five-fold. The outbreak is driven by the XFG variant, also known as 'Stratus', which originated in South East Asia and has been spreading across Europe and North America since late 2025. Whilst seasonal increases during autumn are normal, this year's jump is nearly triple the rise seen in 2025, raising concerns about NHS pressure this autumn alongside cold and flu.
Monthly infections jumped to 4,589 in September, the highest since October 2024, up from 1,374 in August. Hospital admissions similarly surged from 950 to 4,939, whilst test positivity rates rose from 1.6 per cent to over 8 per cent. Symptoms associated with the XFG variant include sore throat, headache, runny nose, fatigue and sometimes gastrointestinal problems. Health officials emphasise that weekly deaths remain low at approximately 19 and current figures are substantially below the 4,000 daily admissions seen in 2020.
- Cases doubled and hospital admissions rose five-fold in September alone
- Asian XFG variant spreads flu-like illness with sore throat and fatigue
- Death rates remain low and current cases still below 2020 levels
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England is experiencing a sharp increase in COVID-19 infections caused by a new variant of the virus called XFG, also known as Stratus. The variant originated in South East Asia and has been spreading across Europe and North America since late 2025.
Health officials are concerned about the timing of this outbreak because it coincides with autumn and winter, when respiratory illnesses like cold and flu typically increase. This could place strain on the NHS at a time when hospitals are already managing higher patient numbers.
The XFG variant causes symptoms including sore throat, headache, runny nose, fatigue and sometimes stomach problems. Deaths from COVID-19 remain low, though health officials are monitoring the situation as infection numbers continue to rise.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Covid cases double in a month and hospital admissions rise five-fold, amid spread of new XFG variant”.