Overview

• National surveillance shows a clear rise in circulation since early September, with Santé publique France counting 26,000 cases one week and more than 32,000 the next and city labs now reporting over one in four tests positive.
• Healthcare activity is trending up, with SOS Médecins noting a 32% weekly increase in suspected infections and the Oscour network reporting a 37% jump in adult emergency visits for suspected COVID-19.
• XFG, a recombinant Omicron lineage linked to partial immune escape, has rapidly outcompeted others in Europe and is estimated by the ECDC to account for more than 80% of recent infections.
• WHO assessments indicate no evidence that XFG causes more severe disease than prior Omicron descendants, with symptoms remaining familiar even as transmissibility increases.
• Authorities emphasize targeted precautions such as masking in poorly ventilated spaces and self-testing for symptoms, noting activity remains below past peaks and hospitals are not broadly disrupted.