In our previous blog we discussed the physical attributes and effects of COVID-19 disease on children. This blog with focus more on the current and future effects of the pandemic in general as it relates specifically to the world’s children.
Education:
In 2020, governments in 192 countries closed educational institutions at all levels from preschools to colleges and universities in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19 and minimize the health risks to students, teachers and ancillary staff. This disrupted the education of nearly 1.6 billion learners, or 90% of the world’s student population. When school closures are instituted, alternatives such as distance education and online learning are deployed. However, less than half of the households in the majority of countries around the world have access to the internet. The pandemic risks aggravating the “learning crisis” and leaving the most deprived children behind. While online schooling allowed classes to continue virtually, the UN estimates that nearly 500 million children, especially in poorer countries or rural areas, have been excluded from remote learning due to a lack of technology and/or internet access.
According to a McKinsey report based on data from eight countries, in schools where 80% or more of students come from households that are below the poverty line, there was an average of 2.5 months of learning loss and remote schooling scored just five out of 10 for effectiveness. Oxfam International estimates that the pandemic will reverse the last 20 years of global progress on girls’ education, further increasing poverty and inequality.
In the long term, prolonged absence from school is associated with lower retention, graduation rates and learning outcomes, in particular among segments of the population that are already economically disadvantaged and students with disabilities. School closures have also been associated with decreased physical activity, increased screen times, irregular sleep patterns, peer difficulties and isolation and increased onset of psychiatric disorders. The cost of fighting the pandemic and the reduction in tax revenue caused by the downturn in economic activity are likely to have a negative effect on education spending by governments and on global aid to education for a long time to come.
Mental Health:
It has been indicated that compared to adults, this pandemic may have increased long term adverse consequences on the mental health of those under age 18. The nature and extent of the impact will depend on many factors such as the developmental age, educational status, pre-existing physical and/or mental health conditions, and being economically under privileged.
The home confinement of children, absence of school’s structured setting and disruption in their physical activities and opportunities for socialization has been associated with an increase in mental health concerns and conditions. Parents and youths agree that COVID-19 and related public health measures have made their mental health worse. This could lead to long term mental health effects.
Some of the increased or new effects reported on youth mental health are:
- Acute or chronic stress
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Depression
- Anxiety/Separation anxiety
- Increased risk of suicide
- Clinging or attention seeking behaviors
- Increased irritation and/or agitation
- Increased inattention or focus
- Disrupted sleep/nightmares
- Decreased affect
- Fear of illness, isolation and/or death of self, parents or family members
- Fear of falling behind academically or athletically
- Fear of missing out socially
In addition to the effects on their overall psychological wellbeing, increased use of internet and social media predisposes them to using the internet compulsively, accessing objectionable content and also increases their vulnerability for getting bullied, abused or exploited.
Children with special needs [autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, cerebral palsy, learning disability, developmental delays and other behavioral and emotional difficulties] encounter increased challenges as they typically have intolerance for uncertainty and changes in routines. This can aggravate or even regression of their symptoms. With the closure of special schools, programs, services and therapies, these children lack access to resource materials, peer group interactions and opportunities of learning and developing important social and behavioral skills. It can be difficult for parents to handle their challenged child on their own without the expertise of schools and therapists.
Covid and Covid related changes and restrictions have also led to exacerbation of pre-existing mental health conditions due to disruptions in care and access to their usual mental health services. Supporting resilient families and children, and building upon strengths for struggling families is essential but we should expect to see impacts on mental health for some time post pandemic
Safety
As communities worldwide have been disrupted, children already at risk of violence, exploitation and abuse have found themselves even more vulnerable. During the time of lockdown an increasing number of individuals lost their jobs, and many poor families had no source of daily wages leading to frustration and feelings of helplessness. These heightened emotions coupled with increased time at home for children and adults may manifest itself in the form of violence towards children. School closure coupled with economic adversity may force children and adolescents into child labor. Likewise, children without parents or guardians are more prone to exploitation.
In addition, when children out of school other adults, such as school personnel are prevented from noting abuse and providing help for victims. There are increased reports of children being subjected to some form of neglect or abuse such as psychological or verbal aggression, sexual and/or physical punishment at home by caregivers. The Deputy Director of CHILDLINE 1098 India, announced that India saw a 50% increase in the calls received on their helpline for children since the pandemic and subsequent lockdown began.
The world’s 13 million child refugees who reside in camps face similar challenges. They, along with a million-child asylum-seekers and 17 million displaced children, are among those most likely to be excluded from social protection, and to be negatively affected by movement restrictions that may keep them from obtaining a more safe and secure status.
Prevention
With all the actual and potential risk and effects on children, it is more important than ever to prevent children from contracting COVID. The AAP urges those ages 12 years and older to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. As of August 2021, Pfizer is the only vaccine available and approved by the FDA for children aged 12-18 years. Others are in trial phases and hope to be available soon. Currently, there is no vaccine approved for use in children under 12 years of age so other methods of prevention are more important than ever. The same prevention methods are recommended for children as adults. These include wearing masks, frequent handwashing and use of hand sanitizer, social distancing and vaccinations. It is also important for parent to keep infections out of schools by keeping children home if they are sick. Parents may also want to limit or modify some activities such as choosing play dates or activities that are outdoors.
Sources
American Association of Pediatrics (AAP). Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) Interim Guidance (aap.org)
Al-Jazeera. Infographic: How has the world changed since COVID-19? | Business and Economy News | Al Jazeera
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#demographicsovertime
Cable News Network (CNN). Covid-19 and kids: What the data shows about cases, hospitalizations and deaths – CNN
Mayo Clinic. Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and COVID-19 – Symptoms and causes – Mayo Clinic
National Institutes of Health (NIH). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7444649/
Reuters. Children hospitalized with COVID-19 in U.S. hits record number | Reuters
The Good Men Project. Four Ways Covid-19 Has Changed Our Society – The Good Men Project
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). 2020. “UIS.Stat.” April 2020. http://data.uis.unesco.org
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). 2020. “COVID-19 Educational Disruption and Response.” April 2020. https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse
United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF). https://data.unicef.org/resources/how-covid-19-is-changing-the-world-a-statistical-perspective/
World Economic Forum. How we’re grappling with a world changed by COVID | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)