Flusurvey Platform

Flusurvey is a webtool managed and monitored by UK Health Protection Agency (UKHSA) formerly Public Health England and designed to monitors trends of infectious diseases in the community. It was originally set up during the swine flu pandemic in 2009 by researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and forms part of a Europe-wide initiative with eight other countries to monitor influenza-like illness (ILI) activity but has now been adapted to monitor a range of diseases including COVID-19. Any member of the UK public can register onto the platform to report any symptoms they may experience. This data will be used by researchers at UK Health Protection Agency (UKHSA) to monitor disease trends in the UK. 

There are currently more than 10,000 people, from all over the UK, participating  in this survey and we always want to increase this number to make our data more robust and representative of the general population as well as improve the interpretations of our data. If you have participated in previous years please do so again this year.

If you are new to this site please click on the 'Join the Survey' box on the right.

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Flusurvey has now been adapted to monitor community prevalence and trend of symptoms related of the novel coronavirus. The system will capture additional information about possible community acquired covid-19 using self reported respiratory symptoms reported on the platform. As the disease is still evolving, we are still working on ways to make sure we are gathering the right information that can provide useful insights on community transmission, exposure risk, changes in healthcare seeking behaviour as well as adherence to recommendations to help limit the spread of the virus in the general population.

Useful Information About Covid-19

COVID-19 is an illness that can affect your lungs and airways. It's caused by a virus called SARS-CoV2. The COVID-19 outbreak is rapidly evolving and it is important to keep up to date. For more information on what to do or if you have concerns, please visit the nhs.uk.

Surveillance data for Covid-19

Data on covid-19 related symptoms are been reported weekly via the weekly symptoms questionnaire. The 2021/22 Influenza season has now started and both Covid-19 and Flu trends are being monitored and reported via the National Surveillance report published by UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Figure below shows the proportion of Flusurvey participants reporting symptoms related to the novel coronavirus and Influenza like illness (data up to Flu week 43).

Covid-19 case definition

Updated Case Definition for the novel coronavirus can be found here.

For the purpose of Covid-19 surveillance:

Suspect case

A. A patient with acute respiratory illness (fever and at least one sign/symptom of respiratory disease, e.g., cough, shortness of breath), AND a history of travel to or residence in a location reporting community transmission of COVID-19 disease during the 14 days prior to symptom onset.

B. A patient with any acute respiratory illness AND having been in contact with a confirmed or probable COVID-19 case in the last 14 days prior to symptom onset;

C. A patient with severe acute respiratory illness (fever and at least one sign/symptom of respiratory disease, e.g., cough, shortness of breath; AND requiring hospitalization) AND in the absence of an alternative diagnosis that fully explains the clinical presentation.

ILI case definition

Based on ECDC recommendation, ILI is defined as

Sudden onset of symptoms with

at least one of Fever (chills); Malaise; Headache; Muscle pain and

at least one of Cough; Sore throat; Shortness of breath