National flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports published

Latest update

The main points from this week’s national influenza and COVID-19 surveillance report are:

Surveillance indicators suggest that at a national level COVID-19 activity remained stable in most indicators in week 39 of 2021.

Case rates were highest in those aged 10 to 19, with a weekly rate of 1047.7 per 100,000 population, although cases are now falling.

The lowest case rates were in those aged 80 and above, with a weekly rate of 86.0 per 100,000 population.

Weekly case rates per 100,000 population were highest in the East Midlands at 442.4.

Case rates per 100,000 were lowest in London with a weekly rate of 197.3.

The number of acute respiratory infection incidents (suspected outbreaks) in England was 543 in week 39, compared to 622 in the previous week.

The hospital admission rate for week 39 was 5.60 per 100,000 population, in the previous week it was 5.44 per 100,000 population.

Hospital admission rates for COVID-19 were highest in the North East, with a rate of 10.10 per 100,000 population.

The highest hospital admission rates continue to be those aged 85 and above.

Dr Mike Gent, Incident Director at UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said:

Cases of COVID-19 remain high across the country, especially among 10 to 19 year olds.

The best way to protect yourself and others is to get a vaccine. While vaccination offers excellent protection against COVID-19, there are things you can do to prevent the spread of the virus.

When meeting people inside, ventilate the room by opening windows and doors. Wear a face covering in crowded places and wash your hands regularly throughout the day.

Avoid mixing with others if you feel unwell for any reason and if you have any symptoms of COVID-19, get a PCR test as soon as possible.

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Previous updates were published by Public Health England.