The COVID-19 pandemic is something that we have all been through over the past eighteen months, and it has had an impact on most of us. The pandemic and the response to it have had a considerable effect on an entire generation of children and young people, and experts suggest that full recovery from it could take years. Despite being the age group with the lowest risk of catching the virus or suffering from health complications as a result, there’s no denying that the pandemic has had an impact on kids – in some cases, a very significant one. Here are some of the main areas where the COVID-19 pandemic has affected children, and what we can do to help them overcome it now and in the future.
Adult Stress
The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly been a source of stress for many adults. Of course, many kids have found themselves in situations where there are lots of stressful factors including schooling at home, being socially distanced and isolated from friends and family, and missing out on the things that they would normally enjoy. However, many children are also affected by the stress and emotional distress that has been felt by the adults in their lives, too. With studies suggesting that rates of anxiety and depression have risen by around four times compared to pre-pandemic levels, it’s unsurprising that the kids at home are likely to have picked up on this when parents are affected. In addition to this, children who have been affected by parental poor mental health at home have had less access to outside support and help, such as from school teachers and school guidance counselors, compared to pre-pandemic.
Adverse Childhood Experiences
Adverse childhood experiences or ACEs have long been linked to a higher likelihood of mental and physical health conditions alongside substance misuse problems in adulthood. According to the CDC, around 60% of adults in the US report having experienced at least one adverse childhood experience when they were children. ACEs include situations such as a death in the family, parental divorce, witnessing or being a victim of domestic violence, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and other experiences that impact a child’s sense of safety and stability or make it harder for them to bond with their caregivers.
The pandemic has affected families in many different ways, which has increased the likelihood of ACEs being experienced by children in this generation. Deaths in the family and parental divorces rose as a result of the pandemic, while some children found themselves trapped at home with an abusive or aggressive parent. With more and more children dealing with these adverse experiences that have been caused or worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, social work jobs are likely to rise in demand in order to meet the increasing support needs of the younger generation and help them recover.
Developmental Issues
Little data currently exists on the impact of the pandemic on child development. However, experts suggest that in the years and months to come, we are likely going to see some developmental problems. With many children now back in school, teachers have noticed that more children than usual are not where they would be expected to be based on their age. For younger children in particular, the lack of access to playdates, daycare centers and face to face meetings with others might have led to a delay in learning key social skills. And for older children, being isolated at home without the opportunity to meet with friends in school and other social settings may have caused a delay in building crucial relationships, which can have an impact on adult social skills and relationship building skills in later life.
According to experts, adolescence in particular is a crucial developmental time for children since these young people are developing the skills that will help them successfully transition into adulthood. This age group is often trying to figure out the crucial details of who they are and who they want to become, which in many cases may have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Educational Inequality
Although inequality in education, which refers to unequal access to education and the resulting unequal outcomes for students was present in society long before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the crisis has only worsened this. While schooling issues related to the pandemic were something that had an impact on all children, some student populations were more affected than others. For example, it has been harder to get schools to reopen in some cities and districts. In addition to this, while continuing their education at home throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, some children had better access to resources than others. Children from lower socio-economic backgrounds, for example, may not have had the quiet space at home to study or the technology needed to make the most of it, compared to students from higher class backgrounds.
Fewer Health and Wellness Visits
While going through a global pandemic and adhering to stay-at-home orders, it’s not surprising that a lot of parents may have been reluctant to take their otherwise healthy child to a doctor’s office or another healthcare setting. However, the result of this may have long-term consequences for some children. Statistics show that between January and May of 2020, the number of children under the age of two receiving vaccinations declined by over 30%. And from March to May in 2020, there were large decreases in children under the age of 18 receiving key health services, including almost 75% reduction in dental services and over 40% fewer health screenings. And, while the utilization of health services has been on the rise as COVID regulations and stay at home orders relax, essential child health screenings and services have not yet returned to the same levels as pre-pandemic.
This gap in routine healthcare emphasizes the importance of taking additional preventive measures at home. One practical approach is using the best nasal spray for covid prevention. These sprays have shown promising results in reducing the viral load and providing an added layer of protection against the virus. They work by using antimicrobial ingredients like nitric oxide to prevent infections, making them a reliable option for parents looking to safeguard their children’s health during these uncertain times.
Related Illnesses
Although it is rare, some kids who had COVID-19 will develop a rare related illness including a multisystem inflammatory syndrome known as MIS-C. While the number of children who are suffering with MIS-C after contracting COVID-19 are relatively small, it is still larger than health officials would like it to be. While most of us are aware that the risk of catching COVID-19 and suffering complications from it is much higher for adults compared to children, the presence of MIS-C in some kids that have had COVID is a reminder to both health experts and the general public that it is important to be vigilant and make sure that the safety of children continues to be a top priority.
Physical Challenges
With over three million children in the US testing positive for COVID-19 compared to over 30 million adults, the risk of the virus is undoubtedly lower for children, and hospitalization and death from COVID-19 is uncommon in the younger generation. However, experts are only just beginning to understand the impact of COVID on the long-term physical health of children. Since COVID-19 in children can lead to a wide range of different physical symptoms, it is difficult for practitioners and healthcare experts to develop rehabilitation programs for these patients. So far, COVID-19 rehabilitation clinics are addressing patient needs across a range of disciplines including speech-language pathology, occupational and physical therapy, assistive technology, behavioral health and more.
How to Help Kids Move Forward from COVID-19
It may be several years before we know the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the younger generation, and for kids, recovering from the effects of the pandemic could take even longer, if at all. While the crisis has brought about substantial challenges, it has also highlighted a range of opportunities where children’s hospitals, healthcare providers and other professionals in the community can work together to ensure that the needs of children are being met. For example, it has highlighted just how important behavioral health screenings are when it comes to physical healthcare for children. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has also made it clearer than ever when it comes to the key role that schools play in the lives of children. Although the primary role of the school is to provide education to children, they also have a responsibility to care for the physical and mental wellbeing of children.
Moving forward, it’s important for healthcare and community care professionals including teachers and social workers to be prepared for the often-long-term impact of COVID-19 on children. Programs will need to be developed to ensure that children have the best chance of a successful recovery post-pandemic. In addition to this, it has also highlighted the need for more care and attention to be provided to children from lower socio-economic backgrounds and how environmental factors impact a child’s ability to learn and develop. There is also a larger opportunity now for stronger community relationships to be built, with the relationships between health providers, schools, public health and social services now stronger than it has been in a long time.
While children might have been at lower risk than adults for the health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is no doubt that the crisis has had a huge impact on the development of the younger generation.
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