The Germ Defence website, which was previously used to help reduce the transmission rate of swine flu, has now been repurposed by researchers from Bath, Bristol, and Southampton researchers to prevent the further spread of coronavirus.

Some of the advice from the website includes leaving delivery parcels for 72 hours before unboxing, disinfecting household surfaces, and instilling better hygiene practices.

Researchers hope that the website will reach out to many and will help change their behavior when it comes to protective and preventive measures against coronavirus and to stop transmissions.

The site focuses on behavioral adjustment techniques to provide a plan for users to reduce their likelihood of coming across COVID-19 and viral load within the household.

Visitors of the website will first get an explanation of the importance of why they need to be aware of reducing the risk of getting and spreading the disease. Researchers believe that with better understanding, people might be more eager to follow the advice.

The researchers say that their guidelines and advice are particularly relevant to reduce infection, especially when a member of a household has left and returned again.

Dr. Ben Ainsworth, from the department of psychology at the University of Bath, said that they are aware that COVID-19 is transmitted in the same way as other viruses.

He says that their website provides advice on how you can protect yourself using the same approach that has worked for other viruses in the past. Ainsworth encourages people to visit the site as it only takes a total of ten minutes to go through, but will offer you a lifetime of protection against colds and the flu if followed diligently.

The study was published in the BMJ on May 6.

Practice Makes Perfect

Researchers say it may take some time before people get used to the ideas on Germ Defence. However, they are confident that once you have learned them, they will become good habits that will benefit the whole family.

A past study of 20,000 people revealed that users of Germ Defence were less likely to catch flu or other viruses, or have suffered shorter illnesses.

The team of researchers behind Germ Defence has jointly teamed up with Public Health England. Additionally, the website is being translated into more than 20 languages to reach more people worldwide.

According to the authors of the study, it is crucial to limit the number of virus people come into contact with by reducing the viral load within the household since many people with COVID-19 are taken care of at home.

Paul Little, a professor of primary care research at the University of Southampton, said that they developed and trialed Germ Defence so that it could be helpful both during typical winter months as well as during a major pandemic.

He said that it displayed apparent reductions in both transmissions of infections to and from other family members. Little adds that it should aid in the reduction of the number of family members that become sick with COVID-19 as well as reduce the severity of the disease if someone does get infected.

Here are some tips to prevent the spread of viruses inside the home.