Is COVID rising in the UK right now?
Are COVID-19 cases going up or down in Britain? Live UK COVID-19 activity with 12-week trend, based on UKHSA Dashboard weekly case rate rolling mean.
This page tracks how much COVID-19 is circulating, not symptoms or diagnosis. For symptoms see the NHS.
Influenza: Low
Low
No. Flu activity in the United Kingdom is currently low and holding steady (as of 26 Apr 2026).
Data window: Week 17 · Apr 20 – Apr 26 · Source: UKHSA (weekly) · Source on summer schedule, weekly data from week 40
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View the last 8 weeks
In week 17 of 2026, Influenza activity in the United Kingdom is classified as low.
Against week 16 the reported value is effectively unchanged (less than 5% difference).
Across the last 8 reported weeks the highest reading was week 10; the level was low in 8 of them.
The last 8 reported weeks
| Week | Relative | Level | vs prior week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 17 | 42 | Low | unchanged |
| Week 16 | 42 | Low | −27% |
| Week 15 | 57 | Low | +50% |
| Week 14 | 38 | Low | −37% |
| Week 13 | 60 | Low | −14% |
| Week 12 | 70 | Low | +28% |
| Week 11 | 55 | Low | −45% |
| Week 10 | 100 | Low | – |
Relative means the highest of these weekly values is set to 100. Exact incidence rates are in the app.
Current activity
- InfluenzaLowfallingWeek 17Trend: falling · Week 17
- COVID-19LowstableWeek 17Trend: stable · Week 17
- RSVLowstableWeek 17Trend: stable · Week 17
What this means
In week 17 of 2026, activity of COVID-19 in the United Kingdom is low. The trend, derived from clinical surveillance, is stable. A slight upward trend has emerged over recent weeks.
Data, context and methodology
The current picture for the United Kingdom is built on the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) Dashboard. UKHSA is the national public-health authority for England and publishes weekly NHS England hospital admission rates for influenza and RSV, alongside daily case rate data for COVID-19. We rescale these signals into a consultation-equivalent indicator so the qualitative “low / moderate / high” categories are consistent with how we report other countries.
UKHSA Dashboard
The UKHSA Dashboard is the official public data portal of the UK Health Security Agency. It aggregates surveillance data from NHS England, sentinel primary care networks and laboratory reporting. For our headline level we use the weekly hospital admission rates for flu and RSV, and the daily COVID-19 case rate series.
Hospital admission rates
Flu and RSV are reported as laboratory-confirmed hospital admissions per 100,000 population per week, submitted by NHS England trusts. For COVID-19 the UKHSA Dashboard exposes a daily case rate series, which we aggregate into a weekly rolling mean. Together these give a stable signal of severe respiratory illness pressure that is robust to changes in individual testing behaviour.
Why this source
UKHSA is the authoritative source for England-wide respiratory surveillance and the only one to publish hospital admission rates with national coverage on a weekly cadence. Hospital admissions reflect the load on the healthcare system and update with roughly a one-week lag, while the COVID case-rate series tracks transmission more directly.
Qualitative classification
The “low”, “moderate” and “high” categories follow seasonal reference values and epidemiological thresholds calibrated to match our classifications for other countries. Admission rates and the COVID case-rate series are scaled to consultation-equivalent incidence using pathogen-specific conversion factors derived from typical seasonal peaks. Data refreshes weekly when UKHSA publishes the latest Dashboard update.
Source and seasonal pattern by pathogen
- Influenza
- The classification is based on the UKHSA Respiratory Surveillance Dashboard, combining hospital admission rates with the RCGP sentinel surveillance network run with the Royal College of General Practitioners. Seasonally, infection waves in the United Kingdom typically peak between December and February; activity is usually markedly lower during the summer months.
- COVID-19
- The classification is based on the UKHSA Respiratory Surveillance Dashboard, which aggregates COVID-19 hospital admission rates alongside RCGP sentinel indicators. Seasonally, infection waves in the United Kingdom typically peak during winter, with occasional summer waves driven by new variants; activity is usually markedly lower in late spring between waves.
- RSV
- The classification is based on the UKHSA Respiratory Surveillance Dashboard, which tracks RSV hospital admission rates together with RCGP sentinel surveillance indicators. Seasonally, infection waves in the United Kingdom typically peak between December and February; activity is usually markedly lower in spring and summer.
Frequently asked questions
How is COVID-19 monitored in the UK now?
With mass community testing wound down, UKHSA tracks COVID-19 mainly through hospital admissions, the SARI-Watch severe-illness network, laboratory-confirmed cases from NHS settings, and variant sequencing by the COG-UK successor programme. The UKHSA Dashboard publishes these indicators weekly. Wastewater monitoring, run in partnership with the Environment Agency in earlier years, has been scaled back but selected signals continue to inform the overall picture.
Is COVID-19 still a serious concern in the UK?
COVID-19 is now endemic in the UK and continues to cause hospitalisations and deaths each winter, concentrated in older adults and people with weakened immune systems. For most vaccinated adults with prior infections, current variants tend to cause an illness broadly similar to flu. Long COVID remains a concern and is monitored through ONS surveys and NHS specialist clinics. Risk is managed via targeted boosters rather than population-wide restrictions.
When do COVID-19 waves happen in the UK?
COVID-19 in the UK has not locked into a single seasonal rhythm. A winter wave has recurred each year since 2020, usually overlapping with flu and RSV, but additional waves have appeared in spring and late summer whenever a new variant with an immune-escape advantage has emerged. UKHSA's variant surveillance is therefore watched alongside hospitalisations for early signs of a resurgence.
Who is eligible for a COVID-19 booster on the NHS?
The NHS offers seasonal COVID-19 boosters to groups advised by the JCVI, typically including adults aged 65 and over, residents in care homes for older adults, people aged 6 months to 64 in clinical risk groups, pregnant women, and frontline health and social care workers. Eligibility is reviewed each autumn and spring. Booster uptake is reported by UKHSA alongside flu vaccination figures.
Are new variants still a risk?
Yes, SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve, and new sublineages are detected by routine UK sequencing. Most emerging variants cause illness broadly comparable to their predecessors, but occasional lineages with clear immune escape can drive faster, larger waves. UKHSA publishes variant technical briefings describing growth advantage and, where relevant, any signals around severity or vaccine effectiveness.
More situation reports
Data last refreshed: Sep 1, 2026, 11:06. Update cadence: weekly.
This page is not medical advice and does not replace consultation with a healthcare professional. For specific symptoms, please contact a medical professional.
About this page
Published by Renderei Martin GmbH, Berlin. No commercial interest in individual health recommendations. The app is optionally monetised via a freemium subscription.
Content is based exclusively on the linked official surveillance publications. Medical statements are curated against the guidance of RKI, ECDC and WHO.
Methodology enquiries: press@infectrisk.com