Germ Defence for COVID-19 was funded by UKRI as part of the government’s rapid response to the pandemic.
The project is completed and the website is no longer being updated. The infection prevention information therefore may not reflect latest scientific findings
The website remains active as an example of an infection prevention behavioural intervention and the associated research.
Archived versions of the website are available here: http://archive.germdefence.org/
More information about the research can be found in the following publications:
- Morton K, Towler L, Groot J, et al. Infection control in the home: a qualitative study exploring perceptions and experiences of adhering to protective behaviours in the home during the COVID-19 pandemic. BMJ Open 2021;11:e056161
- Miller, S., Ainsworth, B., Weal, M., Smith, P. W., Little, P., Yardley, L., & Morrison, L. (2021). Process evaluations of a web-based intervention to increase handwashing during a pandemic: Moving Germ Defence from a randomised controlled trial to public dissemination. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 23(10).
- Horwood, J., Chalder, M., Ainsworth, B., Denison-Day, J., De Vocht, F., Elwenspoek, M., ... & Yardley, L. (2021). Primary Care implementation of Germ Defence, a digital behaviour change intervention to improve household infection control during the COVID-19 pandemic: A structured summary of a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. Trials, 22(1), 1-3.
- Morton, K., Ainsworth, B., Miller, S., Rice, C., Bostock, J., Denison-Day, J., ... & Yardley, L. (2021). Adapting Behavioral Interventions for a Changing Public Health Context: A Worked Example of Implementing a Digital Intervention During a Global Pandemic Using Rapid Optimisation Methods. Frontiers in public health, 9.
- Ainsworth, B., Miller, S., Denison-Day, J., Stuart, B., Groot, J., Rice, C., ... & Yardley, L. (2021). Infection control behavior at home during the COVID-19 pandemic: observational study of a web-based behavioral intervention (Germ Defence). Journal of medical Internet research, 23(2), e22197.
- Gold, N., Hu, X. Y., Denford, S., Xia, R. Y., Towler, L., Groot, J., ... & Yardley, L. (2021). Effectiveness of digital interventions to improve household and community infection prevention and control behaviours and to reduce incidence of respiratory and/or gastro-intestinal infections: a rapid systematic review. BMC public health, 21(1), 1-15
- Ainsworth, B., Steele, M., Stuart, B., Joseph, J., Miller, S., Morrison, L., Little, P., & Yardley, L. (2017). Using an Analysis of Behaviour Change to Inform Effective Digital Intervention Design: How Did the PRIMIT Website Change Hand Hygiene Behaviour Across 8993 Users? Annals of Behavioural Medicine, 51(3), 423-431.
- Little, P., Stuart, B., Hobbs, F D R., Moore, M., Barnett, J., Popoola, D., Middleton, K., Kelly, J., Mullee, M., Rafter, J., Yao, G., Carman, W., Fleming, D., Stokes-Lampard, H., Williamson, I., Joseph, J., Miller, S., & Yardley, L. (2015). An internet-delivered handwashing intervention to modify influenza-like illness and respiratory infection transmission (PRIMIT): a primary care randomised trial. The Lancet, doi:org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)60127-
- Miller, S., Yardley, L., & Little, P. (2012). Development of an intervention to reduce transmission of respiratory infections and pandemic flu: measuring and predicting hand-washing intentions. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 17(1), 59-81
- Yardley, L., Miller, S., Teasdale, E., & Little, P. (2011). Using mixed methods to design a web-based behavioural intervention to reduce transmission of colds and flu. Journal of Health Psychology, 16(2), 353-364.
- Yardley, L., Miller, S., Schlotz, W., & Little, P. (2011). Evaluation of a Web-Based Intervention to Promote Hand Hygiene: Exploratory Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 13(4), e107
