What about the kids? Are lockdowns and the virus debilitating the nation’s young?

Concerns are emerging about the impact successive and prolonged lockdowns are having on children.

Mental health services are at capacity in several states, Victoria has reported an increase in young adult suicide, and experts fear that depriving kids of play time and preschool may delay physical and social development.

Diagnoses delayed for behavioural difficulties

Studies from Australia, Spain and China showed an increase in depressive symptoms and a decrease in life satisfaction among children and adolescents. In Victoria, eight girls under 18 died by suicide between January and July, compared with three in the same period in 2019.

A Queensland study found 15% to 20% of children had mild to moderate emotional or behavioural difficulties including anxiety, irritability, depression and sleep disturbance, and other studies recorded a rise in anxiety and depression among kids. 

Director of the centre for community child health at Murdoch Children’s Research Institute Professor Sharon Goldfeld tells Crikey that parents and paediatricians are seeing “worrying signs”, with concerns younger children are behind in both social and physical development from not being able to play at school.

“One of our concerns is that the long tail of COVID will emerge over time, and it won’t be surprising that some of these developmental concerns have emerged,” she said. She did stress though that there wasn’t enough data to draw conclusions. 

But kids are resilient, and Goldfeld says once childcare and kindergarten open up kids are likely to catch up. The main concern was with older kids who were struggling with the yo-yoing of going to and from schools and who were seeing their parents stressed and anxious. 

Another key concern is for children with disabilities. Those with emerging developmental issues from potential autism diagnoses to speech delays being unable to get expert assessments.

“There are difficulties around early intervention,” Goldfeld said. “While some of that can be done virtually not all of it can be.” 

Not being able to get assessments means applying for funding from the National Disability Insurance Scheme could be delayed and important therapies postponed. 

Are vaccines the answer?

The Therapeutic Good Administration has approved Pfizer and AstraZeneca for children over 12 and trials are under way on vaccinating those younger. While those over 12 with underlying health conditions can access the vaccine, kids otherwise aren’t yet eligible, although the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) is assessing this. 

Director of child and adolescent health at the University of Melbourne Professor Fiona Russell says children appear to be less affected by the Delta variant than adults — with surging case numbers in kids abroad probably due to them making up most of the unvaccinated population — but other risks had to be considered. 

“The burden is the indirect effect of lockdown and closure of schools in terms of mental health,” she said. 

“It’s really critical when decisions are being made that that’s also considered in decision-making because that’s crushing children and families.”

The long-term effects of COVID on children aren’t yet known, Russell says, as isolating potential long COVID symptoms from other viruses and psychological impacts is tough.

Opening schools crucial 

Russell and Goldfeld believe sending kids back to school would benefit most kids and parents. Preliminary data shows the risk is low: in the UK in June, just 0.27% of primary school and 0.42% of secondary school kids tested positive, with similar rates among school staff. 

This, Russell says, shows the risk of catching COVID at school was lower than at the home, especially if staff are prioritised in the vaccine rollout — which is starting to happen in Australia. 

“There’s no such thing as zero risk,” Russell said, stressing other non-pharmaceutical measures had to be introduced in schools such as ventilation measures, CO₂ monitors, extra testing, and cohorts to limit how many kids interacted with one another.