Table 3.

Quotations from patients on the impacts of long-COVID-19

Concept/domain	Respondent demographics	Quotation
Impact: ADLs	Female, 50–59	‘With the lack of energy, the fatigue, the shortness of breath when I am active, simply daily hygiene tasks. It’s physically exhausting to take a shower, so I do wash with soap and water and wash the important parts. I feel gross taking a shower because I am just too exhausted to do it.’
Impact: IADLs	Female, 40–49	‘I would say pretty much 90% of my meals have all been take-out since COVID. I’ve hardly cooked anything just because it’s been so difficult.’
Impact: physical	Male, 30–39	‘I just couldn’t really go to the gym, I couldn’t do physical activity like that. I couldn’t lift my daughter too much but I would try. But it was a combination of the two that really affected me the most.’
Impact: emotional	Female, 50–59	‘It’s hard to put a label on it because it’s almost like a loss of sense of self. That’s the best way I can put it into words. It’s overwhelming, like feeling of loss and depression where it’s not getting any better. Before, I had depression level come and go and now it’s just staying with me.’
Impact: social and leisure activities	Female, 30–39	‘So things like I used to… be very active in my church. I used to go every week multiple times, different events. I used to go out and hang out with friends. And those are things that I can no longer do. Not because of risk of catching COVID or something like that. But just because I physically don’t have the ability.’
Impact: professional	Female, 50–59	‘And like I said my job, I was going to attempt to work from home but my supervisor tells me oh everyone is back in the office now. I am not ready to get dressed in office clothes and drive to work and be on time. My extra income is just not… there. And it’s hard. I’ve tried to find jobs that I can when I feel okay, but nobody is trying to do that.’

ADLs, activities of daily living; IADLs, instrumental ADLs.