Public health experts are warning people to take extra precautions after hundreds of people have been struck down by norovirus.
Medics are seeing more cases as the weather turns cold and they have warned Britons to take precautions so they don't get struck down by the winter vomiting bug .
Around 700 people have come down with the highly contagious virus in the past months.
Outbreaks are more common at this time of year.
Public Health England said there have been 696 laboratory reports of norovirus in England and Wales since early August.
That figure is slightly lower than the average of 703 for the same period in the previous five seasons (2014/15 to 2018/19).
Eight outbreaks of suspected norovirus occurred at hospitals in England in September, down from the average of 13.
Six led to a ward/bay closure or restrictions to admissions and three were confirmed as norovirus.
Cases so far, include a Lancashire school that was forced to close after pupils and staff took ill from a suspected outbreak, while hospital wards in Staffordshire and Warwickshire have cut visiting hours.
Patients in East Yorkshire have been warned the bug is "doing the rounds".
As for the upcoming winter months, Public Health England said: "It is not possible to predict how the current season will progress."
Norovirus is known as the winter vomiting bug, but cases can occur at any time of the year.
The main symptoms are nausea, diarrhoea and vomiting, but people could also experience a fever, headaches or sore arms and leg.
The symptoms usually appear suddenly within a day or two of infection and people normally feel better within a day or two.
Health experts urge people to treat themselves at home and stay off school or work until the symptoms have stopped for two days.
The best way to stop the spread of the virus is frequent hand washing with soap and water.
Norovirus spreads very easily through close contact with someone who has the bug, touching surfaces or objects that have the virus on them and then putting your hands in your mouth, and eating food prepared or handled by someone who has the virus.
