COVID-19 in Finland
Current COVID-19 activity in Finland — based on ECDC ERVISS weekly data from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).
Current situation: COVID-19
In week 15 of 2026, activity of COVID-19 in Finland is low. The trend — derived from clinical surveillance — is stable. Activity has barely shifted over the past few weeks.
The classification is based on the ECDC ERVISS weekly reports, drawing on COVID-19 surveillance data from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) via its sentinel GP network and the National Reference Laboratory. Seasonally, infection waves in Finland typically peak during winter, with occasional summer waves driven by new variants; activity is usually markedly lower in late spring between waves. How severe a given season becomes depends on the circulating virus variant and the population's immune status, among other factors.
Data sources and methodology
The current picture for Finland is built on the European Respiratory Virus Surveillance Summary (ERVISS), published weekly by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) via its sentinel GP network and the National Reference Laboratory is the national public-health authority that feeds ERVISS with sentinel primary care and virology data.
ECDC ERVISS
ERVISS is ECDC's weekly pan-European surveillance summary for influenza, SARS-CoV-2 and RSV. National authorities — in Finland's case the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) via its sentinel GP network and the National Reference Laboratory — submit harmonised indicators every week, which ECDC publishes in a standardised dataset on Thursdays. Using ERVISS rather than each country's native portal ensures cross-country comparability.
ILI / ARI consultation rates and positivity
the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) via its sentinel GP network and the National Reference Laboratory operates a sentinel network of general practices that report weekly rates of patients consulting for influenza-like illness (ILI) or acute respiratory infection (ARI). A subset of patients is swabbed and tested by reference laboratories, producing pathogen-specific positivity rates for flu, SARS-CoV-2 and RSV.
Why this source
Combining consultation incidence with virological positivity yields a pathogen-specific weekly incidence signal (ILI × positivity / 100). This is the standard European methodology and provides a more robust view than either indicator alone — consultation rates capture illness burden, positivity confirms which pathogen is driving it.
Qualitative classification
The “low”, “moderate” and “high” categories follow seasonal reference values and epidemiological thresholds calibrated to match our classifications for other countries. The ILI × positivity / 100 product is scaled to comparable thresholds using a divisor of 3, which aligns European sentinel peaks with the consultation-equivalent scale used elsewhere. Data refreshes weekly when ECDC publishes the latest ERVISS update, typically on Thursdays.
Frequently asked questions
How is COVID-19 monitored in Finland today?
COVID-19 surveillance in Finland is now integrated into THL's weekly respiratory-virus monitoring. Key indicators include sentinel GP consultations, laboratory positivity, hospitalisations and ICU admissions for severe acute respiratory infection, and variant characterisation at the National Reference Laboratory. Results are published weekly and also reported to ECDC for inclusion in ERVISS.
Is COVID-19 still a concern in Finland?
COVID-19 is endemic in Finland and continues to cause winter hospitalisations, concentrated in older adults and people with chronic or immunosuppressive conditions. Vaccination and prior infections mean most adults experience an illness similar to flu or a heavy cold. Targeted booster campaigns and symptomatic monitoring have replaced general restrictions, and THL tracks the weekly picture alongside flu and RSV.
When do COVID-19 waves happen in Finland?
COVID-19 in Finland has not settled into a single seasonal rhythm. Winter waves overlapping with flu and RSV are the most consistent pattern, but summer or spring upticks have occurred when immune-escape variants emerged. Rising positivity, hospital-admission trends, and laboratory signals are THL's early-warning indicators for a shift from baseline to elevated activity.
Who is eligible for a COVID-19 booster in Finland?
THL recommends seasonal COVID-19 boosters primarily for adults aged 65 and above, people with pre-existing conditions, pregnant women, residents of long-term-care facilities, and healthcare workers. Vaccines are available through municipal health services at no cost for eligible groups. THL publishes uptake and virological-surveillance updates in the same weekly cycle.
Are new variants still tracked in Finland?
Yes. Finnish laboratories and the National Reference Laboratory at THL continue to sequence SARS-CoV-2 samples from hospital and sentinel cases. Most emerging lineages cause illness comparable to their predecessors, but variants with substantial immune escape can drive larger waves. Finnish variant-trend reports feed into ECDC ERVISS for EU-wide context.
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