Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.
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".The Bug Watch 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. Bug Watch was an online prospective community cohort study in England (2018-2019). Participants were recruited via the Health Survey for England, 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). Symptoms reported have been combined into infection syndromes (combinations of symptoms associated with one potential infection episode).
Main Topics:
This data collection includes the following data sets:Baseline: Demographics, general health, and knowledge/attitudes towards antibiotics. Antibiotic knowledge/attitudes questions were adapted from the Wellcome Trust Monitor survey (Wave 3: Antibiotic resistance and the use of antibiotics).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. 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.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.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.
Recruitment via the Health Survey for England
Self-administered questionnaire: Web-based (CAWI)
