COVID-19 Cases Rise in France with New “Frankenstein” Variant Under Watch
Grenoble, France – September 23, 2025 – COVID-19 infections are increasing across France, with a notable surge in hospitalizations and the emergence of a new variant, dubbed ”Frankenstein” (XFG), prompting health officials to monitor the situation closely.
Recent data from the Grenoble University Hospital Laboratories shows that over 11% of 233 COVID tests conducted between September 15 and September 21 were positive. This marks a meaningful increase from zero positive tests at the same facility at the end of August. The Chambéry hospital center reported an even higher positivity rate of 16.79% during the same period.
emergency room visits related to COVID-19 are also climbing sharply. In the Ardèche department, emergency passages for COVID-19 have increased tenfold, jumping from 106 per 100,000 emergency visits in mid-August to nearly 1,200 on september 15. While other departments are experiencing similar increases, the Hautes-Alpes department has seen a recent decline after an initial peak.
The World Health Association (WHO) has designated the XFG variant as a variant under surveillance, noting its “rapid growth compared to co-circulating variants on a global scale.” Epidemiologist Mircea Sofonea explained that the variant is “more transmissible, because it has several key changes.”
Despite the rise in cases,health officials state current figures are comparable to the 14th wave in September 2024,and remain lower than previous peaks. Experts predict COVID-19 will likely become a seasonal virus by 2026, similar to influenza.
France’s COVID vaccination campaign is scheduled to launch officially on October 14 for high-risk individuals. However, there is discussion about perhaps advancing the campaign if transmission rates continue to climb, according to the Ministry of Health. Public Health France will assess the situation at the end of September to determine if an earlier rollout is necessary.
