Report by Duncan Williams for Pulman's Weekly News
Covid cases and hospital admissions have risen sharply in the UK, with the XFG variant now accounting for more than half of positive tests.
Covid cases increased by 230% in September compared with the previous month, according to the latest figures from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
There were 1,374 reported cases in August, rising to 4,589 in September.
Hospital admissions involving Covid also increased, from 950 in August to 4,939 in September, a rise of about 420%.
The proportion of Covid tests taken in hospitals that were positive also increased, from 5.9% to 7%.
The figures come as the XFG variant, also known as Stratus, becomes the dominant strain detected in positive tests.
It has sometimes been referred to as “American Covid” because of its prevalence in North America.
There has also been a recent rise in reported infections. In the seven days to 23rd September, cases increased by 28.6%, from 1,061 to 1,364, according to the UKHSA dashboard.
However, the figures do not represent every Covid infection in the population.
UKHSA data is based on reports from NHS England, including tests involving patients who become unwell enough to require medical attention. People with milder infections who do not seek treatment or receive an official diagnosis may therefore not appear in the figures.
Despite the recent increase, Covid levels remain well below those seen during the worst stages of the pandemic.
XFG has been circulating in Europe and North America since late 2025. The World Health Organization has identified it as a combination of the earlier LF.7 and LP.8.1.2 lineages.
The variant is an offshoot of Omicron, which emerged in 2021.
Dr Alex Allen, a consultant epidemiologist at the UKHSA, said Covid activity had increased recently but remained at low levels in the UK.
He said there was no evidence that the variants currently circulating were making people more seriously ill or spreading faster than previous strains.
The UKHSA is continuing to monitor Covid variants in the UK and overseas.
Some people infected with the latest variants have reported a hoarse voice and a particularly painful sore throat, sometimes described in media reports as “razor-blade throat”.
Covid can still cause serious illness, hospitalisation and death, particularly among older people and those with weakened immune systems.
The government is offering the autumn Covid vaccine to people aged 75 and over, residents of older adult care homes and people aged six months and over who are immunosuppressed.
Health officials are encouraging those eligible to take up the offer ahead of the winter, when respiratory viruses including Covid and flu are expected to circulate at higher levels.
What are the symptoms of Covid?
Covid symptoms can vary and may resemble those of a cold or flu.
The NHS lists a high temperature, chills, a continuous cough, shortness of breath, tiredness, body aches, headache, sore throat and a blocked or runny nose among possible symptoms.
People may also experience loss of appetite, diarrhoea, nausea, or a change in their sense of taste or smell.
A hoarse voice and particularly painful sore throat have also been reported with the newer variants.
The NHS says most people recover from Covid within a few weeks, although some people can take longer to recover and the illness can be more serious for those at greater risk.
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