Notes to broadcasters
These questions are designed to help broadcasters conduct interviews with health experts who can speak about chronic COVID-19, or long COVID, or with people who have experienced chronic COVID-19, or long COVID. The questions are designed to help you create informative discussions about the symptoms, causes, and long-term effects of chronic COVID-19, or long COVID. Ask some or all of the follow-up questions to explore these concepts thoroughly and give your audience the information they need.
If you want to cover more details about this topic, arrange a series of interviews with the same guest or with others who can speak on these issues. And remember that good interviews are based on active listening and good follow-up questions. Use these questions as a guide to your discussion but be flexible enough to follow the discussion where it leads, and to add or remove follow up questions as required in any given interview.
Important myths and misinformation could come up during these discussions. Be sure to address and dispel these with your guest, as well as other myths that are prominent in your community.
Finally, the concepts that come up during your discussion might be technical or scientific. Always ask your interviewee(s) to explain such concepts in clear and simple terms that any listener can understand. If a guest uses a complicated or technical term, ask them to explain it—even if you understand, your listeners may not.
Script
Questions for health experts on chronic COVID-19, or long COVID
1. What is chronic COVID-19, or long COVID?
a. Follow-up questions:
i. What is the cause of chronic COVID-19, or long COVID?
ii. What are the symptoms of chronic COVID-19, or long COVID?
iii. What should a person do if they think they have chronic COVID-19, or long COVID?
iv. Are certain groups of people more likely to develop chronic COVID-19, or long COVID? Explain.
2. What are the possible long-term health effects for a person who becomes ill from COVID-19?
a. Follow-up questions:
i. What are the long-term differences in health impacts between people affected by COVID-19 and those with chronic COVID-19, or long COVID?
3. How should people recovering from COVID-19 or with chronic COVID-19, or long COVID care for their health?
a. Follow-up questions:
i. Can and should people with chronic COVID-19, or long COVID be vaccinated against COVID-19?
ii. Does the COVID-19 vaccine prevent chronic COVID-19, or long COVID?
iii. Are people with chronic COVID-19, or long COVID immune to COVID-19 after they become infected?
iv. Should people with chronic COVID-19, or long COVID continue to take precautionary measures such as wearing a mask? If so, why?
v. Should people with chronic COVID-19, or long COVID isolate themselves from others?
Questions for people with symptoms of post-COVID-19 or long-term COVID-19
1. When did you test positive for COVID-19?
a. Follow-up questions:
i. What were your symptoms?
ii. How has your health changed from the time you were diagnosed with COVID-19 until now?
iii. Do you have any persistent symptoms?
1. If yes, which ones?
2. How long have your symptoms persisted?
a. Follow-up questions:
i. When did you realize that your symptoms went beyond what is normal for COVID-19?
ii. What did you do when you realized that you were suffering from chronic COVID-19, or long COVID?
iii. Did you contact your doctor?
1. Are you currently receiving medical care for this condition? What does this care consist of?
2. Does this medical care help with your symptoms?
iv. What impact has chronic COVID-19, or long COVID had on your life?
1. How have you managed the symptoms of chronic COVID-19, or long COVID?
v. Do you think you have now recovered from COVID-19?
1. If yes, how long ago did you recover?
2. If no, do you have any idea when you will feel recovered? Have health workers given you an estimate of when you might feel recovered?
3. Have you been vaccinated against COVID-19?
a. Follow-up questions:
1. If yes, what encouraged you to get vaccinated?
2. If no, why not?
4. If you are recovered from your illness, how did you take care of yourself or how did other people take care of you?
a. Follow-up questions:
i. Have you regained your sense of taste? Smell?
1. How did you deal with the loss of smell and/or taste during your illness?
ii.What advice did your doctor give you?
iii. What are your next steps as you recover from chronic COVID-19, or long COVID?
Acknowledgements
Contributed by: Aristide Somié-Abalo Kawele, multimedia journalist and blogger, Sotouboua, Togo
This resource was created thanks to funding by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada as part of the Life-saving Public Health and Vaccine Communication at Scale in sub-Saharan Africa (or VACS) project.