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

<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>