Health

Don’t Ignore the Signs Covid Cases Are on the Rise Again

Published on June 21, 2025

There’s been a slight uptick in Covid cases in England, and health officials are urging us to keep on our toes. According to the latest government data, more people in hospital are returning positive PCR tests after sweltering through the week ending 15 June .

Hospital admissions have edged up too, climbing to about 5.9% of PCR tests coming back positive up from 5.5% the previous week . And when it comes to variants, two are causing most cases: LP.8.1.1 and XFG, each making up almost 30% of sequenced samples, reported the Express.

LP.8.1.1 is a branch of the Omicron family, first spotted in July 2024. While it’s officially being kept under “variants under monitoring” by the WHO, experts say it doesn’t seem more severe than the versions we’ve already been dealing with . Thomas Jeffries, a senior lecturer, told The Conversation that LP.8.1 “doesn’t appear to be any more severe than other circulating strains,” and the WHO considers its global risk to be low .

Still, the NHS has reminded us that key Covid symptoms haven’t changed. Look out for:

A new, continuous cough

Fever or chills (feeling hot on your chest or back)

Loss or change of smell or taste

Shortness of breath

Feeling tired or exhausted

Muscle aches, headaches, sore throat, blocked nose

Loss of appetite, diarrhoea, nausea or vomiting

If you spot any of these, the NHS advises staying home until you’re feeling better. And if you test positive for Covid, the recommendation—while no longer mandatory—is to avoid others for five days .

Here’s the context from hospital data: average weekly hospital admissions for Covid ticked up to 1.53 per 100,000 (from 1.44), while ICU and HDU admissions stayed flat at 0.04 per 100,000 . So although we’re not heading into crisis territory, it’s a nudge to stay alert.

What can you do?

Be vigilant about symptoms, even if it’s just a cough or sniffle.

Stay home if you’re feeling off, and consider getting a test.

Take sensible precautions if you test positive—rest up and keep your distance.

With a summer break around the corner and more people outdoors and mixing, it’s worth keeping an eye on how things evolve. Even if the new variants aren’t packing more punch, the rise in numbers means it’s not over yet. So, keep your immune defences up, don’t ignore symptoms, and you’ll keep doing your bit.

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