COVID-19 Rebound: France Confirms XFG Variant

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Key Takeaways: COVID-19 is Resurging in France (September 2025)

* Resurgence Confirmed: COVID-19 cases are increasing at a “sustained pace” in France, as of September 25, 2025. This is linked to the return to school and cooler temperatures, alongside other respiratory viruses.
* Hospitalizations Up: Emergency room visits and hospitalizations due to COVID-19 increased by 37% (375 additional cases) among adults during the week of September 15-21, 2025. There’s a slight decline in cases among children.
* Case Numbers:

* Approximately 32,610 new COVID-19 cases were reported between September 15-21, 2025, up from 26,053 the previous week.
* The rate of impact is 49 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
* The increase is most pronounced in the 15-64 age group (22,000+ new cases vs. 14,901 the prior week).
* Dominant variant: The resurgence is driven by the XFG variant (nicknamed “Stratus” or “Frankenstein”). This variant is notably contagious and better at evading antibodies.
* WHO Warning: The World Health Association (WHO) identified the XFG variant in June, noting its mutations help it avoid antibody detection.
* Geographic Spread: The XFG variant is active in North America,Asia,and Europe.
* Expert Opinion: Public health professor Antoine Flahault confirms this is a “new wave of COVID.”

Article Details:

* Author: Sophie Vincelot
* Published: September 25, 2025, at 1:03 p.m.
* source: actu.fr (French news website)