Corona Citizens Science Project - Wave 1 Results

COVID-19 Restrictions

Most people found the recommendations from the government clear. An 8 or higher was given by 92% of the respondents for Social distancing, 83% on Isolation recommendations, 80% for Leisure and travel and 79% on shopping.

In each case the commonest value chosen was 10/10, suggesting that the Government’s recommendations are well understood, by most people. Men, younger people, and people not in formal employment were all likely to assess the clarity of communication slightly less favourably.

The large majority of people report that they have adapted their behaviour and that others have done the same. At home, 85% feel they have strongly adapted their behaviour (9 or 10 on the scale) and 66% find others have also strongly adapted. In public places, 75% feel they have strongly adapted their behaviour but think only 37% of the people around them have strongly adapted.

Children

About 9,400 respondents had children in preschool, most of them were just at home (89%), 5% were with a childminder, 4% were cared for by family and 2.5% were with their grandparents.

About 26,000 (24%) respondents had children in primary school. Of these people, 77% did not encounter any problems with schooling, but some indicated not the necessary resources, such as a laptop or access to computers (3%), sufficient resources because there are not enough laptops/computers and others are using these (10%), not enough access to information (5%), or an unreliable internet connection (4%).

About 10,000 respondents had a child or children under the age of 15 in secondary school. Most schools continue the curriculum by sending work home (30%) and 67% send homework and provide additional supports online. For Children between 15 and 17, totalling about 11,000, the figures are 31% and 61%.

Flu-like Symptoms

6% of the people, about 6,000 respondents, indicated to have had flu-like symptoms in the last 14 days. Of these respondents, they most often felt tired/exhaustion (64%), sore throat (54%), dry, throaty cough (44%) runny nose (42%) and/or muscle pain (38%). Of the people who had flu-like symptoms, 52% think they had symptoms of Corona and 53% contacted their GP. Of these patients, 36% were referred for testing, of whom 10% were positive, 18% were negative, 36% were still waiting for their test and 37% were waiting for the result of their test.

Relationships

Over the past week, most respondents went for a walk (87%), did some sort of indoor exercise (56%), or played board games 37%. Contact with other people was kept by chatting with other people, 2 meters apart (54%), chatting while seeing them on-screen (77%) or over the phone (86%).

Relationship tensions changed to more than usual in interactions with adults between over 70 for 9% (applicable for 47,000 respondents), with adults between 18 and 70 for 5% (applicable for 79,000), with children between 12 and 17 for 8% (applicable for 37,000), 9% with children under the age of 12 (applicable for 44,000) and 7% with a partner (applicable for 76,000 respondents).

Employment and Living

Just 10% of the people who responded were living alone and a third of the respondents living alone indicated they didn’t talk to anyone the day before. In general, younger respondents talked on average to slightly more other people face-to-face than older respondents, under 30s met about 4.3 other people and over 50s on average 3.2, while those in between 30 and 50 with about 3.8.

Most people who answered were employed, 69%, but students also answered the survey (4%), retired respondents represented 13%, and 7% of respondents were homemakers.

Of the people who were in employment (70,000 respondents), 6% used to work from home every day, 19% only sometimes and 41% never. When they worked from home only sometimes (20,000 respondents), this was only occasionally or just one day a week for 80%. That respondents did not work from home was usually because their job requires face to face contact (44%) and 17% indicated that working from home was not allowed in their company.

Interestingly, of the respondents in employment, about 63% did work from home in the past week, while 19% were essential workers and 19% were not working anymore.

Demographics

Females were in the majority answering, with 76%. The mean and median age was 47 and this was the same for males and females.

Of the respondents, 14% had secondary education or were going through this, 4% had a technical or vocational diploma, 19% a national cert or diploma, and 63% had a university degree.

Of the respondents, 10% indicated they were in receipt of the COVID-19 pandemic unemployment payment.

Most answers came from Dublin (38%) followed by Galway (12%), Cork (6%) and all other counties at less than 5%. Most respondents have a broadband connection (88%), and about 9% have a mobile internet connection.

Research teams at Dublin City University, NUI Galway and the Insight SFI Centre for Data Analytics (NUI Galway) have worked together on this population-wide survey to find out about the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic and the associated restrictive measures (lockdown, social distancing) on daily life in Ireland.

About the Survey

Research teams at Dublin City University, NUI Galway and the Insight SFI Centre for Data Analytics (NUI Galway) have worked together on this population-wide survey to find out about the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic and the associated restrictive measures (lockdown, social distancing) on daily life in Ireland.