Viral respiratory diseases (including influenza and COVID-19) in Scotland surveillance report

About this release

This weekly release by Public Health Scotland presents epidemiological information on respiratory infection activity, including COVID-19, across Scotland. Due to the dynamic nature of all datasets included in this report, figures contained within each update may be subject to change in future releases. Any revised figures will then be reflected within the latest update.

Main Points

Overall assessment 13 January 2025 to 19 January 2025 (ISO week 3): 

• Although attendances to GP practices for acute respiratory infections increased in week 3, those for influenza-like illness decreased this week. The proportion of NHS24 calls related to respiratory symptoms also decreased in week 3.
• Influenza-related hospital admissions in Scotland decreased by 31.9% from 595 in week 2 to 405 in week 3. Laboratory-confirmed influenza case numbers have declined by 29% from 1,219 in week 2 to 866 in week 3. Influenza B cases have been rising in proportion within total influenza cases earlier than in previous seasons, but still low overall.
• All-cause excess mortality for week 52 (the latest week not impacted by reporting delays) increased overall, with more recent weeks showing an excess in the 15-64 and 65 and above age groups, possibly due to higher rates of influenza, cold weather and other non-respiratory-related causes.
• RSV continues to decline across all surveillance systems in the recent week. Emergency hospitalisations due to RSV decreased by 5.6% from 125 admissions in week 2 to 118 in week 3.
• COVID-19 signals remain low across all surveillance systems.
• Since the start of the winter 2024/25 vaccination programme in Scotland, uptake was highest in older care home residents (influenza: 84.4%; COVID-19: 82.4%), and among adults aged 75 years and older (influenza: 80.1%; and COVID-19: 76.3%). Around two thirds of those at-risk for influenza and three quarters of those at-risk for COVID-19 have not yet been vaccinated. Vaccine uptake is lower for both influenza and COVID-19 for all eligible groups when compared to the corresponding calendar week last year.

Further information

The next release will be 30 January 2025.

Find out more

Previous Publications

Versions of the Weekly national respiratory report publication released before 30 November 2022 may be found on the Public Health Scotland website.

Versions of the COVID-19 weekly statistical report publication released before 30 November 2022 may be found on the Public Health Scotland website.

Open data

Open data from this publication is available from the following weblinks:

• Viral respiratory diseases Open Data platform
• Flu and COVID vaccination uptake Open Data platform

Further data

• The COVID-19 Vaccine Wastage datafile was updated on 18 April 2024 to include the most recent information.
• The COVID-19 in Adult Care Homes in Scotland datafile was updated on 27 July 2023 to include more recent information.
• 28 September 2022 COVID-19 statistical report publication contains information on COVID-19 infection and vaccination in pregnancy in Scotland.
• 2 March 2022 COVID-19 statistical report publication contains information on Highest Risk (shielding patients list)
• 7 November 2023 Community Acute Respiratory Infection (CARI) surveillance in primary care contains information on flu Vaccine effectiveness in community settings.
• 25 May 2023 Interim 2022/23 influenza vaccine effectiveness: six European studies, October 2022 to January 2023, contains information on flu Vaccine effectiveness in hospital settings.
• 13 January 2024 Estimated number of lives directly saved by COVID-19 vaccination programs in the WHO European Region, December 2020 to March 2023, contains information on lives saved due to COVID-19 vaccination