A Primary care trial of an Infection control website to Modify Influenza-like illness (ILI) and RTI Transmission

A website will teach people how to wash their hands and cover their coughs, then track whether those habits actually cut the number of winter respiratory infections across the UK. Most people catch at least one cold or flu-like illness each winter, and current public health advice—hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette—is well known but poorly followed. This trial tests whether an interactive website can change that. The researchers will give households access to a site that explains the science of infection transmission and provides practical tools for reducing spread. They will then measure whether those households report fewer respiratory tract infections than households that did not use the site. If the website works, the impact could be large and immediate. The intervention is digital, so it can reach the entire nation at low cost. A measurable reduction in winter infections would ease pressure on GP surgeries and hospitals, reduce time off work and school, and demonstrate directly to the public that applied science can improve daily life. The study also serves a fundamental purpose: it tests whether providing clear, actionable scientific information can change real-world behaviour at population scale—a question that matters for future public health campaigns on everything from flu to antibiotic resistance.