UK Flusurvey goes viral
22 Nov 2012 by Evoluted New Media
Researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine are appealing for people to sign up to a nationwide flu survey to find out if 'man-flu' really exists.
The Flusurvey aims to collect data from men and women of all ages around the country in order to map trends as seasonal flu takes hold. The survey will enable researchers to analyse how the virus spreads and which groups of people are most affected.
The online questionnaire allows users to report their symptoms directly and the data is supplied to the Health Protection Agency’s national surveillance programmes.
Results from previous years of Flusurvey suggest that men are actually less likely than women to report flu-like symptoms. The data indicated women had about a 16% higher risk of reporting flu-like symptoms.
However, in order to find out if ‘man flu’ is a real phenomenon, researchers need to find out more about gender differences to determine if men are more likely to have severe flu-like symptoms or if there is any evidence that they make more of a fuss than women.
The group also want to find out if the flu vaccine is effective, if owning pets makes a difference to one’s likelihood of catching the virus and if the chances of developing flu-like symptoms are dependent on one’s age, location and how they travel to work.
2012 was one of the mildest flu years reported yet 30% of people in the country reported having some flu-like illness. It is not yet possible to predict if and when seasonal flu will affect people this year, but the Flusurvey team is keen to encourage people to sign up now to help find out.
Traditional flu-monitoring methods rely on data from GPs or hospitals, but the Flusurvey provides a unique insight because many people with flu-like symptoms do not visit the doctor. The more people that sign up will result in more information being collected that will increase scientists' understanding of seasonal flu which in turn will help medics and health services prepare.
To sign up, go to http://flusurvey.org.uk
