Over the past 18 months, I have commissioned a series of four long COVID self-declaration surveys from the polling company, Ireland Thinks.
Each poll involved over 1,000 participants, selected from a panel of 30,000 respondents. The selection was based on demographics and behaviours to mirror the general population. The polling was conducted via direct SMS messages.
Participants were asked if they had experienced symptoms associated with long COVID within the previous four weeks. Those who reported symptoms were then asked to provide a timeline for the onset and continuation of those symptoms, along with a list of symptoms experienced, and to describe any changes to their ability to perform daily activities as a result.
Findings
Analysis of the data revealed that fatigue is the most common long COVID symptom experienced by respondents. Other prevalent symptoms include shortness of breath and sleep problems. Memory problems and muscle ache were also reported by a significant portion of respondents.
Over the series of polls, fatigue levels remained high but showed a gradual reduction. Meanwhile, memory or cognitive issues appear to be on the rise.
The polls revealed a significant gender disparity, aligning with a recent review by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on long COVID, which states, “Women are twice as likely as men to experience Long COVID”[1].
While the Health Service Executive is in the process of completing a prevalence study on long COVID, the data from these polls is currently the only information available on the long-term ongoing impact of COVID-19 in Ireland. The design of the study is consistent with a similar study published by the Office for National Statistics in the UK, and I hope that this may assist in supporting the development of services for patients here in Ireland.
You can access the full poll results here:
[1] National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Long-Term Health Effects of COVID-19: Disability and Function Following SARS-CoV-2 Infection. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/27756