Bug Watch: Baseline Data, Symptom Reporting, Healthcare-seeking Behaviours and Antibiotic Use, 2018-2019

<P>Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.</P><br><p><span>Since the discovery of Penicillin in the 1940s, antibiotics have transformed our ability to treat bacterial infections, allowing us to live healthier, longer lives. However, we have been overusing antibiotics for decades to treat mild infections that would usually get better on their own. This overuse makes bacteria evolve so that they can survive the effect of an antibiotic, making infections much harder to treat. If we are to preserve antibiotics for the future, we need to make sure that they are used carefully and not wasted. This careful use of antibiotics, making sure that those who need them can benefit but that they are not over-used is known as "antibiotic stewardship".</span></p><p><span>The <span style="font-style: italic;">Bug Watch</span> survey allows the measurement of what different people usually do when they get common infections, for example, whether or not they visit their GP, take an antibiotic or take some other treatment. <span style="font-style: italic;">Bug Watch</span> was an online prospective community cohort study in England (2018-2019). Participants were recruited via the <span style="font-style: italic;">Health Survey for England</span>, which is designed to be representative of the population living in private households in England. Data collection consisted of a baseline survey and weekly follow-up for six months. Weekly surveys asked participants to report symptoms of infection, associated healthcare-seeking behaviours, and antibiotic use. Data for 44 different symptoms of infection were collected, in seven categories: general/nonspecific, respiratory tract, gastrointestinal, urinary tract, skin/soft tissue, mouth/dental, and eye). </span><span>Symptoms reported have been combined into infection syndromes
(combinations of symptoms associated with one potential infection
episode).</span></p><br><B>Main Topics</B>:<BR><br><p><span>This data collection includes the following data sets:</span></p><ul><li><span>Baseline: Demographics, general health, and knowledge/attitudes towards
antibiotics. Antibiotic knowledge/attitudes questions were adapted from
the <span style="font-style: italic;">Wellcome Trust Monitor</span> survey (Wave 3: Antibiotic resistance and the
use of antibiotics).</span></li><li><span>Follow-up time: Number of incident infection
syndromes in each infection category reported by each individual. Number
of days of follow-up for each individual in each category of infection
used for calculation of incidence rates. </span></li><li><span>Symptoms: Daily symptom
reporting for each incident infection syndrome. Separate data files are
provided for each of the six infection categories: respiratory tract,
gastrointestinal, urinary tract, skin/soft tissue, mouth/dental, and
eye.</span></li><li><span>Healthcare-seeking behaviours: Sources of healthcare advice used on
each day of each infection syndrome. Includes the order in which
different sources of advice were used if they were used on the same day.</span></li><li><span>Antibiotic use: Antibiotics used for each incident infection syndrome.
Includes name of drug, source of the antibiotic, time from symptom onset
to antibiotic prescription, duration of prescription, how long it was
taken for, whether it was a delayed (or standby) prescription, if the
course was not completed and why.</span></li></ul>