As of June 2023, the majority of Canadians had been infected by the virus-causing COVID-19. Most people recover from their symptoms and can carry on with their lives, however, for many others, symptoms persist for months, often impacting their ability to work and their quality of life overall.
The following are five key findings of the study regarding long-term symptoms of COVID-19:
1. Nearly one in five Canadian adults have had more than one known or suspected COVID-19 infection
The percentage of Canadian adults who ever tested positive for or suspected a COVID-19 infection (based on symptoms or recent contact with a COVID-19-infected person) increased from 38.7% in the summer of 2022 to 64.4% by June 2023. Many Canadian adults have had COVID-19 more than once. As of June 2023, 44.6% of Canadians had experienced one infection, 14.4% had experienced two, and 5.4% had experienced three or more. These numbers, however, are likely an underestimate of the true number of infections by June 2023, as individuals may not always be aware that they are or have been infected.
2. About one in nine of all Canadian adults have experienced long-term symptoms from a COVID-19 infection
By June 2023, about one in nine (11.7%) of the total adult population reported expe