Winter viruses: figures of flu and Norovirus rise in England - but what is the state of Covid-19?

Flu and norovirus figures in England are "creeping up", NHS figures show. Health chiefs expect further increases and growing pressure on emergency departments as the NHS faces the combined impact of cold weather, social mixing at Christmas parties and looming strike action by junior doctors.

Data from NHS England show an average of 406 adult hospital beds were filled last week by patients with diarrhoea and vomiting or norovirus-like symptoms - which is up 16% from 351 beds the previous week and more than a quarter (28%) on this point last year when the average stood at 318.

Symptoms of Norovirus are diarrhoea and vomiting, and it spreads easily through contact with someone who has the virus or with contaminated surfaces. The virus can lead to dehydration, especially among the very young, the elderly or those with weakened immune systems.

Figures also show an average of 243 flu patients in hospital beds in England each day last week, including nine in critical care - which is up 52% from 160 the previous week.

The total stood at 772 at this point last year and would rise sharply throughout December as the UK experienced its worst flu season for a decade.

People have been urged to book their flu and Covid-19 vaccinations as soon as possible, ahead of the closure of the national booking system next week.

Dr Mary Ramsay, director of public health programmes at the UK Health Security Agency, said: “Millions of eligible people are missing out on vital vaccinations that will provide protection against severe disease this winter.

“Pregnant women, their unborn babies and those in clinical risk groups are at higher risk of complication from flu. Vaccinating pregnant women also helps to provide protection to newborn babies who will be born during the flu season.

“If you are the parent of a child aged two or three, don’t forget that they are also eligible for the flu vaccine and this can be booked via your GP – the nasal spray will help prevent hospitalisations, reduce the spread of flu in the community and avoid you having to juggle a sick child with work and other commitments.”

What is happening with Covid-19?

Covid-19 hospital admissions in England remain low, with no sign yet of a winter surge in infections, figures suggest. Admission of patients testing positive for coronavirus stood at a rate of 2.9 per 100,000 people in the week to 3 December, up from 2.6 the previous week but the same level as a fortnight ago, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

At this point in 2022 the rate stood at 5.5 per 100,000, up from 4.8 the previous week and on its way to a peak of 11.4 in the run-up to Christmas.

An average of 2,343 people who tested positive for Covid-19 were in hospital in England each day last week, broadly unchanged on the previous week (2,318) and less than half the number at this point last year (4,895). This is also well below the levels seen during the winters of 2020 and 2021.

Separate figures published on Thursday by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that 1.2% of a sample of 28,075 people across England and Scotland tested positive for Covid-19 in the week to 29 November.

It is the first data to be published from the new Covid-19 winter infection survey – however, it has not been adjusted to show the proportion of the population likely to have tested positive, and is therefore not a measure of the prevalence of the virus across the country.