Frequently Asked Questions
Below is a list of major questions often asked by new FluTrackers.
Please contact us if your question is not answered below and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
Can I invite my Work Colleagues?
Yes, this is a great way to raise awareness about stopping cold and flu transmission in the workplace. Just email a message to your staff.. (example below).
Hi everyone, To help limit coughs and colds in [our organisation] this year we are becoming Flutrackers – it takes just 15 seconds per week to answer two simple questions and we can help track flu around Hong Kong. It’s a great reminder that influenza vaccine is now available and we can limit the spread of coughs and colds around the office by staying home when sick and washing our hands regularly. Go to https://flutracking.wixsite.com/flutracking for more information.
Can I change the email address that I use for the survey?
Yes, you can change your email address, we now have a participant information page where you can change your email address.
For security reasons, this page can only be accessed by clicking on an email that you have received from us previously. So check the bottom of any of our weekly survey emails to change your information. You can also contact us advising us of your new email address or postcode.
Please don’t register for the study all over again, otherwise your old information will not be linked to the new email address.
How confidential are my details?
All information you provide will be kept confidential. The information you provide will be stored on password protected databases and your personal email address will be kept in a separate file to the health information you provide to us. The information will be kept for the duration required under the laws.
How long will my data be used for?
The data we collect will be kept for the duration required under The Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance. When the information is no longer required for the purposes for which it was collected, it will be discarded.
Can I answer the survey for other people?
Yes, you can add other people in your household to your weekly survey form. They should be regular members of your household.
Just look for links to add household members at the bottom of the weekly email we send you.
I have made a mistake when responding to the survey and have entered the wrong details. What do I do?
We can amend responses to influenza vaccination, COVID-19 vaccination and swab test result questions, however, we are unable to update responses to symptom questions. If you have mistakenly entered the incorrect information, you can contact us via email.
What if I am away on holidays and miss the survey?
You can still complete the survey when you get back. Each email you receive has a link that links to a particular week. Just click on the emails and answer the questions for that week – if you cannot recall the week just click on “Don’t know”. However, if you were completely out of the country for the week in question, it is probably best that you do not answer the survey for that week.
Although we could add an extra button on Flutracking to allow you to indicate you were out of the country, we try to keep the survey screen as brief as possible so we just have to accept some low level of inaccuracy in the data to enhance participation.
If you are away for a long time – several months, you can contact us to put you on hold or go to the unsubscribe page and select to be reinvited for next year or subsequent years.
What if I have a chronic cough?
I cough most days, most weeks – am I going to bias your data? This is a common question. Some people cough because of asthma, allergies or other infectious diseases. We understand this can appear to distort the data, however, we analyse the information in a variety of ways and look at the presence of fever and severity of illness (time off normal duties) to help us understand if the data are suggestive of influenza or other diseases. It is best to report whatever symptoms you have as accurately as possible.
I’m moving overseas. Can I still participate?
Yes, you may still participate if you are moving to New Zealand or Australia. If you are moving to New Zealand or Australia, you will need to unsubscribe to your Hong Kong profile, by either clicking the 'Unsubscribe' tab on your profile, or you can contact us. You will then need to create a new account by clicking 'Join' on our home page and selecting the country you will be moving to.
I’m changing jobs/retiring. Can I still participate?
Yes, we are able to change your email address if you are retiring or changing jobs. You can either do this by clicking on the link at the bottom of your weekly emails, or you can contact us and advise us of your preferred email address.
I don’t get sick and/or I am not vaccinated. Why should I participate?
We encourage people to participate regardless of their state of health; sick or healthy, vaccinated or unvaccinated. This allows for a more representative participant cohort. Having participants who only report when they are ill would introduce biases in our data. Most importantly, you would be contributing to scientific research and helping to track influenza and COVID-19 in your local community!
I’d like to suggest something for the survey. How should I go about this?
We appreciate any feedback and welcome any suggestions. You can get in contact with us by emailing flutrack@hku.hk.
I’ve stopped receiving emails from you. Why is this?
On occasion, our emails may get blocked by automatic SPAM filters. Please add flutracking@flutracking.net as a 'safe sender' to prevent this from happening.
