A national survey of attitudes to COVID-19 digital contact tracing in the Republic of Ireland
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
A national survey of attitudes to COVID-19 digital contact tracing in the Republic of Ireland Michael Edmund O’Callaghan 1 & Jim Buckley 2,3 & Brian Fitzgerald 2 & Kevin Johnson 4 & John Laffey 5 & Bairbre McNicholas 5 & Bashar Nuseibeh 2 & Derek O’Keeffe 5 & Ian O’Keeffe 2 & Abdul Razzaq 2 & Kaavya Rekanar 2 & Ita Richardson 2 & Andrew Simpkin 6 & Jaynal Abedin 6 & Cristiano Storni 3 & Damyanka Tsvyatkova 2 & Jane Walsh 7 & Thomas Welsh 2 & Liam Glynn 1,8 Received: 2 July 2020 / Accepted: 23 September 2020 # Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland 2020
Abstract Background Contact tracing remains a critical part of controlling COVID-19 spread. Many countries have developed novel software applications (Apps) in an effort to augment traditional contact tracing methods. Aim Conduct a national survey of the Irish population to examine barriers and levers to the use of a contact tracing App. Methods Adult participants were invited to respond via an online survey weblink sent via e-mail and messaging Apps and posted on our university website and on popular social media platforms, prior to launch of the national App solution. Results A total of 8088 responses were received, with all 26 counties of the Republic of Ireland represented. Fifty-four percent of respondents said they would definitely download a contact-tracing App, while 30% said they would probably download a contact tracing App. Ninety-five percent of respondents identified at least one reason for them to download such an App, with the most common reasons being the potential for the App to help family members and friends and a sense of responsibility to the wider community. Fifty-nine percent identified at least one reason not to download the App, with the most common reasons being fear that technology companies or the government might use the App technology for greater surveillance after the pandemic. Conclusion The Irish citizens surveyed expressed high levels of willingness to download a public health–backed App to augment contact tracing. Concerns raised regarding privacy and data security will be critical if the App is to achieve the large-scale adoption and ongoing use required for its effective operation. Keywords App . Contact tracing . Coronavirus . COVID-19 . Online survey . Public opinion
* Michael Edmund O’Callaghan [email protected] 1
School of Medicine, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
2
Lero - The Irish Software Research Centre, Tierney Building, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
3
Department of Computer Science and Information Systems, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
4
College of Education & Health Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
5
School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG), Galway, Ireland
6
School of Mathematics, Statistics and Applied Mathematics, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
7
School of Psychology, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
8
Health Research Institute, University of Limerick, Limeric
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