As the global community still grapples with the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic, children are already on a long-term path to disaster. Long Covid, a longer-term consequence that lasts beyond the first viral infection, is wreaking havoc on an already vulnerable generation. With millions of our children suffering from the debilitating symptoms of pervasive misinformation, our education system is experiencing turmoil like never before.
It wasn’t until early January 2021 that Lia Corbitt started experiencing the full force of the virus. She tested two days later after developing what she described as a “very mild sore throat.” But this perhaps trivial-seeming symptom was the start of her ordeal with long Covid. But like many long COVID patients, she said by early 2024, the aftereffects of the illness were continuing to take a toll on her everyday life.
Dakota Presnell, once a “happy-go-lucky kid,” noted that his life started to unravel after he got sick. As of January 2024, he fights daily with worsening memory loss and very bad pain in his arms and legs. This sudden, catastrophic shift has turned his previously active, enriching life upside-down. His mom, Michelle Hooker, has stepped into her new role as Jerry’s principal caregiver. She often has to carry him from room to room as he deals with life-ruining symptoms.
Long Covid is more than a personal plight. It poses broader implications on children’s education. Recent statistics reveal that in the 2022-23 school year, approximately 6.8 million children regularly missed school due to health-related issues. The national numbers are jaw-dropping, with more than 10 million children—almost one out of every three school-age children—not regularly going to school last year.
And yet, just last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shared this tragic statistic. By the end of 2023, more than nine million children were enduring Covid. A year since the onset of infection, researchers found that nearly one million children were suffering from long Covid. Of these, approximately 300,000 were actively experiencing its debilitating effects. Alarmingly, unvaccinated children are as much as 20 times more likely to develop long Covid than their vaccinated peers.
As policy experts point out, there’s a high risk of long-term follow-on impacts to children’s health and educational attainment. “There’s no question there could be long Covid symptoms out there we don’t know about,” stated Eric Mackey, highlighting the unpredictability of the condition.
The education sector, too, is going under the pressure. Chronic absenteeism Every state has seen an increase in chronic absenteeism, with close to 30 percent of kids—nearly 13 million—missing school on a regular basis. Lia’s experience reflects this broader trend. Once her sore throat began to affect her daily life, she required further assistance. She had requested more time on tests and breaks throughout her school day. To avoid expulsion, Dakota enrolled at Dare Learning Academy, the district’s alternative educational option. His special education plan was not enough to address his unique needs because his health issues were significant.
“The teachers have to buy into the accommodations … or it’s not going to work,” emphasized Kathy Riley, underscoring a critical aspect of ensuring that children like Dakota receive necessary support.
Michelle Hooker shared her frustration about her son’s condition not being recognized. “They don’t believe anything is wrong with Dakota,” she lamented. And Dakota falls through the cracks and it’s not fair because we’ve been beat up and chewed up. His light is going out, more and more—because he’s losing faith.
Lia’s journey is a personal example of the universal reality young people with long Covid continue to experience. “It’s still impacting me to this day,” she opened up, showing how the condition can permeate into all aspects of life and education.
The implications of long Covid go beyond the personal impact. They create institutional barriers for schools and universities. We are facing a perfect storm, experts warn, that makes a surge of Covid cases particularly threatening to our already strained education system. The impact would be catastrophic.
“As we look ahead, we must consider how to support these children effectively,” stressed Alexandra Yonts, who noted that lengthy waitlists for special education services have persisted in many areas.
