How to take part

This study has now closed and we are no longer gathering data. Information from the study helped the NHS prepare for potential winter pressures and improved public awareness of COVID-19 infection levels. You can read more about the study on our About the study page.

A link to the questionnaire and your 16-character access code will be in the email you receive each time you have a testing window. Each testing window is 7 days. This is the time period you have to complete the questionnaire.

You will need your 16-character access code to enter the questionnaire. Your code is unique to each testing window. You will be sent a new access code for each questionnaire you complete. Any emails you receive will be from office.for.national.statistics.surveys@notifications.service.gov.uk.

If you cannot find your 16-character access code, you do not need to contact us. We will send you a reminder email with a new, replacement access code a few days before your testing window ends.

You can complete the questionnaire on a desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone. If you need to, you can stop and come back to the questionnaire later, as long as it is within your testing window. However, if you need to use the new 16-character access code from your reminder email to complete your questionnaire, and you have already entered responses using your original access code, those responses will not appear. You will need to begin the questionnaire again.

Additional support

We are running this study online. If you are unable to complete the questionnaire online, you can ask a trusted person to help you.

You can also email Winter.Covid19.Infection.Study@ons.gov.uk if you need advice or help completing the questionnaire. The questionnaire will take longer to complete by telephone.

You will have a 7-day testing window every four to five weeks to take your lateral flow test and to answer your questionnaire. You need to take the lateral flow test and complete the questionnaire on the same day. This can be done on any day within your testing window.

We will let you know when your testing window is by email. Any emails you receive will be from office.for.national.statistics.surveys@notifications.service.gov.uk.

You will be asked questions on topics such as:

• your lateral flow test result

• your general health, including any recent symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19)

• recent vaccinations against COVID-19

• how much your health has affected your usual activities or use of health services

• work, or education if you are in education

Once you have filled out your questionnaire, please follow the onscreen instructions, and be sure to select the green "submit" button when prompted. This will ensure that your answers are recorded properly.

If submitted successfully, you will see a confirmation page.

If you cannot complete your questionnaire for a testing window, you do not need to do anything. We will contact you again when your next testing window starts.

If you cannot find your 16-character access code, we will send you a reminder email with a new, replacement access code a few days before your testing window ends.

You should receive your 14 lateral flow tests approximately two to four weeks after you have given your consent to take part in the study, by completing the online consent questionnaire.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) will send the lateral flow tests to the address you provided when completing the consent questionnaire.

We will also let you know if you have not been selected to take part in the new Winter Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Study (Winter CIS).

How to use your lateral flow test

The lateral flow test provided is a dual nasal swab (mid-turbinate) device. This requires you to wipe the swab around both nostrils, in turn. For guidance on how to use the lateral flow test, please follow the instructions provided in your testing kit. This will explain how to take the test and read the result.

You do need to complete the online study questionnaire and report your result as part of answering the questions in the section "Your test results".

If you test positive, please follow the national guidelines at the time.

We have not removed the out-of-date instructions because it would damage the packaging. That would make the boxes look like they had been tampered with by somebody. We want you to be confident in all aspects of this study. 

You need to record the result of your lateral flow test on the questionnaire by selecting the appropriate option of "negative" or "positive" in the "Your test results" section.

You do not need to take a photo of your lateral flow test result or keep your lateral flow tests once you have recorded the result in the questionnaire.

Void results

If your lateral flow test is not working, or your test result is void, please complete another test immediately until you get a valid result. Only use lateral flow tests that were provided to you as part of the study.

If you run out of lateral flow tests during the study period, it is important that you still complete the questionnaire during your testing window. You will be able to report that you have run out of lateral flow tests when you complete the questionnaire.

The answers you give in the questionnaire will still be valuable in helping us to understand the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) on your life.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) will send you all 14 lateral flow tests that are available for you to use during the study. If you run out of lateral flow tests we will not be able to send any replacements, so it is important that you only use them for the purposes of this study.

Do not use your own lateral flow tests or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests

You can only use the lateral flow tests supplied as part of the study. This ensures that all participants are testing using the same type of device.

Do not use your own lateral flow tests, or polymerase chain reactions (PCR) tests if you run out of lateral flow tests.

Can I give a lateral flow test, distributed for the purpose of the survey, to someone else in my household?

All lateral flow tests to be used for the duration of the Winter CIS are sent to you at the beginning of the study. The number of available lateral flow tests for the Winter CIS is limited and no replacements are available, so it is important that they are only used for the purposes of this study.

If you test positive for coronavirus (COVID-19), please follow the national guidelines at the time.

As part of your 7-day testing window, you need to record your results on the questionnaire in the section "Your test results".  

If you test positive in your main testing window, you will need to take a lateral flow test every other day after your first positive test, until you get two negative test results in a row. We will send you an email with a 16-character access code and a link to a short follow-up questionnaire. This questionnaire will ask you about the dates and results of your follow-up lateral flow tests and any symptoms you might have had.

If you continue to test positive for 15 days after your follow-up questionnaire testing window has started, or you run out of lateral flow tests before you get two negative test results in a row, please complete and submit your follow-up questionnaire using the 16-character access code and the link from your follow-up email.

What do we mean by "every other day"?

Day 1 - positive test. Repeat lateral flow testing on day 3, day 5, day 7, day 9... Stop testing when you test negative two times in a row.

Read more about the follow-up questionnaires in section 10: Follow-up questionnaire.

You will only receive a follow-up questionnaire if you report a positive lateral flow test in your main questionnaire.

You should receive, or should have received, an email with a link to the follow-up questionnaire and your 16-character access code within five days of submitting your first positive test result in the main questionnaire.

You will need your unique 16-character access code to enter the follow-up questionnaire.

You need to take a lateral flow test every other day from your first positive test result, until you get two negative test results in a row. You will need to have taken at least the first of your follow-up lateral flow tests before entering the follow-up questionnaire.

You will only be able to access the questionnaire during your follow-up testing window dates.

For those aged under 16 years, a parent or guardian can complete the follow-up questionnaire on your behalf.

What do we mean by "every other day"?

Day 1 - positive test. Repeat lateral flow testing on day 3, day 5, day 7, day 9... Stop testing when you test negative two times in a row.

You can choose to access your follow-up questionnaire every other day after you have taken your lateral flow test. Or you can note the dates and results of your lateral flow tests and complete the questionnaire after you have tested negative twice two days apart.

If your lateral flow test is negative, you will not receive a follow-up questionnaire. You will not need to do anything until you receive an email for your next testing window.

How to access the follow-up questionnaire

You will receive an email from office.for.national.statistics.surveys@notifications.service.gov.uk with a link to your follow-up questionnaire and your 16-character access code. This will happen within a few days of reporting a positive lateral flow test result when submitting your main questionnaire.

When to complete the follow-up questionnaire

You can complete your follow-up questionnaire any time from when you have received your email until 15 days after the start of your follow-up questionnaire testing window. This email will include the link to the questionnaire and the 16-character access code.

You will be able to submit your follow-up questionnaire:

• when you have had two negative test results in a row, two days apart, or

• If you run out of lateral flow tests before you get two negative test results in a row, or

• if you are still testing positive 15 days after your follow-up testing window has started

You can choose to access your follow-up questionnaire every other day after you have taken your lateral flow test. Or you can note the dates and results of your lateral flow tests and complete the questionnaire after you have tested negative twice, consecutively.

If you have started your follow-up questionnaire but did not submit it before your next testing window began, we will submit the questionnaire on your behalf.

How to submit your follow-up questionnaire

You can submit your follow-up questionnaire when you have had two negative lateral flow test results in a row.

You can also submit your follow-up questionnaire if you run out of lateral flow tests before you get two negative test results in a row, or if you are still testing positive 15 days after your follow-up testing window has started.

Complete and submit your follow-up questionnaire using the link and your 16-character access code from your follow-up email. Once you have filled out your questionnaire, follow the onscreen instructions, and select the green "submit" button when prompted. This will ensure that your answers are recorded properly.

If submitted successfully, you will see a confirmation page.

What to do if you are unable to complete the follow-up questionnaire

It is important that you complete the follow-up questionnaire, as this information provides valuable insight into the effects of COVID-19.

If you cannot complete the follow-up questionnaire, you do not need to do anything. You will receive an email for your next testing window as usual.

If you move house during the study, please tell us by emailing Winter.Covid19.Infection.Study@ons.gov.uk.

Your participation is entirely voluntary. You are free to leave the study at any time without providing a reason by emailing Winter.Covid19.Infection.Study@ons.gov.uk.

It may take a few working days to process your request to leave the study. Any requests you receive to take a test and complete a questionnaire in the period between asking to leave the study and the processing of your withdrawal can be ignored.

If you have already completed one or more questionnaires when you decide to leave, we will still use the data collected up to the time you leave the study. This is because it provides vital information to help us understand the effects of coronavirus (COVID-19) infections.

If you do not consent to taking part, we will assume you do not want to take part in the study.

Parents or carers of children aged under 16 years may also decide for their child to leave the study at any time without giving a reason.

If you have any further questions on the Winter Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Study or how to take part, email Winter.Covid19.Infection.Study@ons.gov.uk.  

If you cannot access the internet, you can call us on +44 8081 961270.