About this release

Public Health Scotland (PHS) continue to consider timely ways to provide the public with official statistics. Between April and October 2024, Public Health Scotland (PHS) will update the narrative report once a month. 3 October will be the final monthly report. The next narrative report and dashboard update will be produced on 10 October 2024 and mark a return to weekly full reporting. This approach aligns to the pre-pandemic one for respiratory pathogens, which typically follow a seasonal pattern. 

Main Points

Overall assessment for reporting period 2 September to 29 September 2024 (ISO weeks 36-39): 

• Respiratory symptoms in the community measured via calls to NHS24 and attendance at GP consultations for influenza-like-illness (GP ILI) remained at Baseline activity level across the four-week reporting period.
• In the CARI community surveillance system, a slight increase in swab positivity was observed for influenza A and rhinovirus. A decrease in swab positivity was observed for SARS-CoV-2 and parainfluenza virus. All other pathogen activity remained at low-season levels with minor changes to swab positivity.
• Following an increase in week 38, mycoplasma pneumoniae decreased from Moderate to Low activity level, rhinovirus from High to Low activity level and parainfluenza from Low to Baseline activity level in week 39. All other pathogens, including RSV and influenza were at Baseline activity level. There was a decrease in reported positive COVID-19 cases from 460 in week 36 to 411 cases in week 39.
• In the most recent week, there were 192 emergency hospital admissions with a laboratory-confirmed diagnosis of influenza, RSV, or COVID-19. This was a decrease compared to previous weeks; 224 in week 38, 237 in week 37, and 211 in week 36. The highest proportion among the admissions were due to COVID 19, although admissions because of COVID-19 have also decreased , from 195 in week 36 to 159 in week 39.
• All-cause excess mortality for week 36 (week ending 08 September 2024, the latest week not impacted by reporting delays) remained at Baseline activity level overall and for all age groups.

Further information

The next release of the interactive dashboard, COVID-19 data platform and respiratory open data platform and the narrative publication will be 10 October 2024.

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