COVID-19 in France
Current COVID-19 activity in France — based on ECDC ERVISS weekly data, set against the parallel flu and RSV trajectories.
Current situation: COVID-19
In week 13 of 2026, activity of COVID-19 in France is low. The trend — derived from clinical surveillance — is rising. A clear upward movement has emerged over the past few weeks.
The classification is based on the ECDC ERVISS weekly reports, drawing on COVID-19 surveillance data from Santé publique France's sentinel GP network and lab positivity indicators. Seasonally, infection waves in France 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 France is built on the European Respiratory Virus Surveillance Summary (ERVISS), published weekly by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Santé publique France 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 France's case Santé publique France — 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
Santé publique France 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 France today?
COVID-19 surveillance in France is now embedded in the broader respiratory-infection monitoring run by Santé publique France. Indicators include SOS Médecins consultations, OSCOUR emergency visits, SIVIC hospital and ICU admissions, sentinel virological testing, and variant characterisation by the Centre national de référence des virus des infections respiratoires. Results are published weekly and also contribute to the ECDC ERVISS dashboard.
Is COVID-19 still dangerous in France?
COVID-19 is now endemic in France and continues to cause hospitalisations and deaths each winter, concentrated in older adults and people with weakened immune systems. Thanks to vaccination and prior infections, most people experience an illness closer to flu or a bad cold. Long COVID remains under study and is followed through dedicated health surveys. Risk is managed through targeted boosters rather than general restrictions.
When do COVID-19 waves happen in France?
So far, COVID-19 in France has not settled into a strict single-season rhythm like influenza. A winter wave overlapping with flu and RSV has been the most consistent pattern, but summer and spring waves have also occurred when new variants emerged with a clear immune-escape advantage. Variant surveillance is therefore watched alongside hospitalisations for early warning of a resurgence.
Who is eligible for a COVID-19 booster in France?
France runs autumn COVID-19 booster campaigns targeted at groups advised by the Haute Autorité de Santé, typically including adults aged 65 and over, people with comorbidities, pregnant women, residents of medical and social institutions, and healthcare workers. Vaccines are available in pharmacies, GP practices, and vaccination centres. Santé publique France publishes uptake data alongside weekly surveillance.
Are new variants still a concern?
SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve, and new sublineages are detected by routine French sequencing coordinated by the national reference centre. Most emerging variants cause illness broadly comparable to their predecessors, but lineages with clear immune escape can drive faster and larger waves. Santé publique France reports variant trends in its respiratory-infection bulletins and via the ECDC ERVISS platform.
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