COVID's toll on kids was milder than predicted, six-country study finds
Six years after COVID-19 disrupted childhood around the world, new research following the same children from before the pandemic through today finds that the damage was far less widespread than early warnings predicted. A special section in the journal Child Development, synthesizing 17 long-term studies across six countries, finds that most children's health, learning, social development and…
A six-year study of children across six countries has found that the impact of COVID-19 on their health, learning, social development, and well-being was less severe than initially predicted. The research, published in the journal Child Development, synthesizes 17 long-term studies to challenge the popular narrative of universal learning loss.
While pandemic disruptions did occur, most children showed substantial recovery in these areas. However, persistent setbacks were primarily observed in children who already faced socioeconomic or developmental risks prior to the pandemic. This indicates that COVID-19 exacerbated existing inequalities rather than causing uniform long-term harm.
The findings suggest that children have displayed remarkable resilience and that context plays a crucial role in shaping their development over time.
Written by urgent.news from Medical Xpress's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
