To investigate the causal roles of environmental factors and viruses on exacerbations of COPD

慢性阻塞性肺疾病（COPD）是一种常见的肺部疾病，最常由吸烟引起。许多患者患有由胸部感染引起的COPD反复发作。这些感染通常由病毒引起，治疗和理想预防非常重要。感染会导致疾病症状恶化，而且关于病毒易感性的信息不足，无法预防胸部感染或住院。本研究将调查环境因素，如污染和温度对COPD患者每天症状和感染可能性的影响。在全国范围内，将使用大型中央数据库进行研究，然后在个体患者水平上进行更详细的研究。这些信息将有利于患者和医疗保健提供者，有助于改善医疗保健资源的组织，特别是在冬季和患者应该意识到症状增加和病毒感染的突出时期。随着COPD感染新的抗病毒治疗的未来发展，这些信息也将有助于提供关于何时应给予这些药物以最大效果的信息。

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common lung condition most often caused by smoking. Many patients suffer from repeated flare-ups of COPD caused by chest infections. These infections are commonly caused by viruses and are important to treat and ideally prevent. Infections contribute to worsening symptoms of the disease and there is insufficient information about susceptibility to viruses to prevent chest infections or hospital admissions from happening. This study will investigate the environmental factors such as pollution and temperature on viruses circulating in the community on every day symptoms and likelihood of catching infections in COPD. Nationally this will be studied using large central databases and then more detailed study will be done at an individual patient level. This information will be of benefit to both patients and health care providers by helping to improve the organisation of health care resources, particularly in the winter and highlight times when patients should be aware of increased symptoms and viral infections. With the future development of new antiviral treatments for COPD infections this information will also help provide information as to when these drugs should be given to maximal effect.