With cases of colds and Covid rising faster than expected and a dangerous strain of flu now threatening the worst season in years… the expert guide to protecting yourself against this autumn’s nasty coughs and sneezes

Have you had the razor throat, hacking cough or the endlessly runny nose yet? If not, count yourself lucky. For everyone else, it seems, is coughing and spluttering – and the numbers back that up.

Cases of respiratory viruses such as colds, flu and Covid are already on the rise, with the number of patients testing positive for some common cold viruses up by a third in a week in England, according to the latest UK Health Security Agency report (based on data from hospital patient swabs).

Meanwhile, hospitalisations from Covid increased by 60 per cent in England alone in just a month (from August 18 to September 18). And flu is starting to make itself felt: influenza A, the most dangerous strain, is already starting to do the rounds.

The fact that Covid and flu cases are rising at a time when this year’s vaccination programme is barely under way is, admit health officials, ‘concerning’.

This comes amid predictions that this could be the year when other respiratory viruses reassert themselves, having been dominated by Covid since 2020.

So how bad is it likely to get and – crucially – what can you do to protect yourself?

Of course, cases of colds and flu always start to increase at this time of year. The colder weather means we mix indoors, while the lack of sunlight and drier conditions mean viruses can survive for longer. But it’s the fact cases are increasing faster than expected at this time of year that’s causing alarm.

Certainly, when it comes to Covid, while the numbers are ‘still low, they’re worrying so early in the autumn period’, says Lawrence Young, a professor of molecular oncology at the University of Warwick.

And the true numbers infected may be far higher than the figures show as ‘our only handle on levels of infection is predominantly from tests in hospital, so we’re blind to the spread of infection in the general population’, explains Professor Young.

This year’s Covid variants (called Stratus and Nimbus) appear to have a new symptom, a razor-blade throat – as well as the usual headache, continuous cough, runny nose and a fever. And they may yet prove to be more easily passed on than previous strains.

There are also ominous signs that we may be in for a bad year for flu, based on what happened in Australia – which has its flu season before the UK. This year they have had 403,848 confirmed cases. By contrast, in 2018 there were just 58,869.

‘This suggests a worse flu season for the northern hemisphere too, although a lot depends on other factors,’ says John Oxford, an emeritus professor of virology at Queen Mary University of London.

There is a third virus causing concern: cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) – which accounts for 450,000 GP appointments, 30,000 hospitalisations and 80 deaths of babies and children even in a ‘normal’ year – are up 33 per cent in a week.

RSV causes cold-like symptoms, but typically leads to a fever and wheezing. While most people recover without treatment, it can cause serious symptoms in babies and older adults, and may prove fatal.

‘Covid and the common cold are already here, but RSV normally takes off around bonfire night and flu at Christmas,’ says Professor Peter Openshaw, a respiratory physician and immunologist at Imperial College London. ‘Prevention should start now.’

It’s not that the common cold will pose a serious threat to most people – although it can make you feel unwell – the real fear is that the levels of all viruses could start creeping up at once. The risk is not catching all the viruses at the same time (highly unlikely, say experts), but rather that you could develop one after another, or develop serious bacterial complications.

‘When you are recovering from flu, your immune defences to bacterial infections are reduced, sometimes leading to pneumococcal pneumonia,’ says Professor Openshaw.

That’s why he’d ‘absolutely recommend that if you are offered a Covid or flu vaccine, you should take it’. Professor Openshaw points out that so far there have been around 800 hospital admissions and 40 deaths per week due to Covid.

The annual vaccination programme in England kicked off on October 1, offering Covid vaccines to those who are 75 or over by January 31, 2026, and people in care homes. It’s also available to those with risk factors, such as asthma.

The jab won’t stop you getting infected, but may reduce your risk of severe disease: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US reported that the 2023-2024 Covid vaccines reduced the risk of hospitalisation among older adults by about 50 per cent in the first two months after vaccination. The protection tends to wane after four months.

Yet uptake of the vaccine was just 60 per cent last year – ‘disappointingly low’, says Professor Openshaw, who blames ‘reduced awareness of the seriousness of the disease’. (The target is closer to 75 per cent of eligible people getting vaccinated.)

He acknowledges vaccine fatigue and scepticism are also a problem.

‘I have a cousin who lives in the US and, despite being hospitalised with Covid, is still refusing to be vaccinated because of worries about vaccine safety,’ he says. ‘The vaccines are very carefully tested and monitored and are among the safest vaccines we have.’

Flu vaccines are available to anyone 65 and over, under-65s in at-risk groups (such as people with asthma), care home residents, children and pregnant women.

‘It might be worth paying to have one if you’ve had bad flu in the past or if you live with or regularly visit vulnerable people,’ says Professor Openshaw.

But does the flu vaccine make that much difference?

Professor Oxford, who is booked in to have both his Covid and flu jab on the same day, says while in some years the vaccine is not as effective as hoped, this year’s formula seems to be more effective – halving the usual rate of flu-associated outpatient visits and hospitalisations in the southern hemisphere’s 2025 flu season, according to an interim analysis of data from eight countries.

Influenza A was the most common identified virus in both outpatient and hospitalised patients. This is a particularly lethal strain because it can cause especially severe symptoms, including high temperature and body ache – and can penetrate more deeply into the lungs, leading potentially to pneumonia in adults.

‘Some years are better than others when it comes to targeting flu viruses with vaccines,’ says Professor Oxford.

Yet speed is of the essence as the vaccines take time to work.

Professor Openshaw explains: ‘In the case of Covid, it takes about three weeks to be fully effective – although there is some protection after two weeks. This delay is because the immune system has to gear up to produce antibodies.’

RSV vaccinations are highly effective, but are currently only available to people aged between 75 and 79: a study published in The Lancet in December 2024 showed the jab reduced hospital admission rates and was 72 per cent effective at preventing infection in those who were immunised.

‘Many of us have been surprised that the RSV jab was restricted just to these narrow age-groups and we look forward to seeing it more widely available in future,’ says Professor Openshaw.

But if you aren’t eligible for a vaccine – or have only just had it – then some experts are again recommending face masks, especially in crowded areas such as public transport.

A review of more than 400 studies published in Clinical Microbiology Reviews last year found that masks could help ward off Covid, as well as coughs and flu.

‘Our review confirms that masks work,’ Trisha Greenhalgh, a professor of primary healthcare at the University of Oxford, who led the study, said at the time.

‘The more consistently and correctly you wear a mask, the better protected you are. Respirators worn continuously provide even greater protection than ordinary masks.’

Masks help reduce the spread of respiratory droplets and aerosol; respirators, such as N95 and FFP2 masks, filter out smaller airborne particles and fit more tightly to the face, providing better protection.

Professor Openshaw says he regularly wears a mask in ‘stuffy crowded places’, including on public transport.

‘I wear a mask to avoid getting all types of airborne viruses, including colds and flu, especially if people around me are coughing and sneezing,’ he says. ‘Most people are relaxed with you wearing a mask and it does help you avoid illness if you wear it correctly.’

Otherwise, nothing beats washing your hands regularly with hot water and soap, says Professor Oxford – especially important if you’ve been touching surfaces used by many people, such as handrails.

Viruses that settle on surfaces are easily transferred on to hands and then on to the mouth, nose or eyes, leading to viral infection, adds Professor Openshaw. Professor Oxford’s advice is to ‘take your time and wash your palms and fingers carefully’.

The CDC recommends ‘if soap and water are unavailable, use a hand sanitiser with at least 60 per cent alcohol’.

Professor Openshaw says: ‘Some viruses can enter through tear ducts which lead to the nasal cavity, so rubbing your eyes is best avoided.’

Environmental factors can also reduce infection rates, including good ventilation. While high-tech buildings may have built-in monitors to alert occupants when the air quality is poor, for the average home the best thing to do is open the windows ‘for short periods every hour or so’, says Professor Openshaw.

Government advice is that everyone should consider taking a 10mg daily vitamin D supplement during the autumn and winter.

According to a review of 16 studies published in Human Nutrition and Metabolism in 2024, vitamin D supplementation does have a modest effect on boosting the immune response and may be considered a way to improve the outcomes of respiratory tract infections. However, its ability to stave off colds isn’t proven.

Barrier preventatives (such as NasalGuard) can help block pollen, but don’t work very well against viruses, says community pharmacist Sultan Dajani.

Sprays that line the nose to stop viruses taking hold may not prevent an infection but can help reduce how ill you are.

A 2024 study in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine found that nasal sprays, such as Vicks First Defence, which work by trapping, inactivating and helping to remove cold viruses from the nasal passages, could reduce days of severe illness caused by respiratory infections by 20 per cent.

If you do come down with an infection, the standard advice is to rest, stay hydrated and stay at home while you remain infectious, which can be up to a week after symptoms begin.

Simple paracetamol and ibuprofen can relieve symptoms such as headache, muscle ache and fever, without the need for the more costly all-in-one remedies, says Sultan Dajani.

And antibiotics are only useful if you develop a secondary, bacterial infection (the virus can overwhelm the immune system allowing bacteria to take hold).

‘The most important thing is to take in plenty of fluids to help your body fight infection,’ says Sultan Dajani. ‘Illness can make you lose more water than normal and hinder the passage of immune cells around the body.

‘Eat clear soups to up your fluid intake. Sipping regularly is best rather than taking a lot in at once as it prevents bloating and the kidneys from being overloaded with too much fluid.’

Pharmacies stock both Covid and flu quick tests which can show if you have these viruses in your nasal secretions with around 90 per cent accuracy.

‘I use these tests when I or my family have symptoms which could be due to Covid or flu,’ says Professor Openshaw. ‘It’s useful to know so you can isolate for a few days, and is also reassuring to know if your nose isn’t teeming with viruses.’

The message is simple: be prepared.