Flunami: Cases of flu surge to highest level since 2022 - amid COVID spike and warning of winter hospital crisis in autumn

Published: 10:05 EDT, 8 October 2026 | Updated: 10:19 EDT, 8 October 2026 Cases of flu have surged to their highest levels for this time of year since 2022, health safety chiefs have warned.Experts say Britain looks set for an 'early flu season' and warned the NHS could be plunged into winter chaos after its busiest-ever summer.Data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows that around 6.5 per cent of people testing for flu are positive – a significant jump from 5 per cent last week.The spread is believed to come from youngsters starting at universities across the country in recent months. It comes amid a spike in the number of Covid-19 cases over the last two months. Monthly infections of Covid are at their highest since October last year and cases are rising at rapid pace. Figures show 1,374 cases in August, rising to 4,589 in September.Officials stressed that levels of both flu and Covid remain within the expected range. But Professor Frankie Swords, the national medical director at NHS England, said there are 'ominous early signs of winter pressure' on the horizon. Cases of flu are have surged to their highest levels since 2022, health safety chiefs have warnedAround two in every 100,000 people are being hospitalised from flu in England, which Prof Swords said is 'the highest that I can remember seeing at this time of year'.'This is coming on the back of the busiest summer ever in our emergency department,' she continued.'We've got very busy hospitals [...] and there are slightly ominous early signs of winter pressure.'Around 95 per cent of hospital capacity was occupied in September, Prof Swords warned.'Although the weather is still nice and perhaps people aren't thinking about flu at the moment, we are acting early and I would really encourage people to act early,' she continued.'Winter is coming and the pressure is going to build and rise as temperatures fall.'Officials are now urging Britons to get vaccinated against both flu and Covid.Around 3.9 million people are said to have received a flu jab since the start of September, while around 730,000 people have received the autumn Covid vaccine. 'Flu levels are increasing with the possibility of an early flu season so now is the time for those eligible to get vaccinated,' said Dr Jamie LopezBernal, consultant epidemiologist at the UKHSA.This is a breaking news story. More to follow.