Immune Defence Study

Immune Defence Study is asking patients with the following to participate in their trial:

Inclusion criteria:
1) Patients aged ≥18 years with a risk factor:
a) Known weakened immune system due to a serious illness or medication (e.g. chemotherapy)
b) Known heart disease
c) Known asthma or lung disease
d) Known diabetes
e) Known mild hepatic impairment
f) Known stroke or neurological problem
g) (BMI>30)
h) Patients with >=3 episodes of an RTI in the last year
2) Patients aged ≥65

We are inviting you to take part in our research study about colds, flu, and similar infections (like ear, chest, throat, and sinus infections). We would like to see if nasal (nose) sprays and websites that help you be more active and reduce stress can help people get fewer infections and less severe infections. This also includes COVID-19. Although it can cause more serious problems, we catch COVID-19 in a very similar way to coughs, colds and other infections.

• You may be eligible for the study if you have had one or more infections in the last year.

• If you decide to take part, you will be put in to one of four groups by chance:
Group 1: Use of a gel-based nasal spray.
Group 2: Use of a liquid-based nasal spray.
Group 3: Use of websites that help you to be more active and reduce stress.
Group 4: Usual care for infections: This is perhaps the most important group. Without this we will not be able to know if the other treatments make any difference. After 12 months you will
be given access to the websites used in Group 3 for a short time.

• You will not be able to choose which group you are put in or change groups after you have been allocated, so it is important that you are happy to be in any of the groups before deciding whether
to take part.

• The study will last for 12 months. Each month we will ask you to complete some questions about colds, flu and similar infections, and your general health.

• Everyone in the study will continue to receive their usual NHS care.

• This study is being run by researchers at University of Southampton, Oxford and Bristol and is funded
by the National Institute for Health Research, the main funder of research in the NHS.

Please click here to view a copy of the patient information sheet

To discuss this further, please ask to speak to a member of the Practice research team.