School closures have been confirmed as reducing COVID-19 transmission during the pandemic. However, the impact led to a level of harm imparted to children’s education, health, and wellbeing. This is based in new research from the University of Oxford.
To assess one of the main measures taken during the coronavirus pandemic, scientists at the University of Oxford conducted a systematic overview of reviews in order to assess the impact of school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings appear in the British |Medical Journal.
The review included studies that answered at least one of two questions:
1. What are the positive impacts of school closures?
2. What are the negative impacts of school closures?
The output indicated a series of negative impacts on children’s education, health, and wellbeing including increased anxiety, reduced learning, and increased obesity. These outcomes could shape plans future pandemic responses.
Therefore, while there may have been some benefits in reducing community transmission of COVID-19, there were also clear harms to children, and these may continue to have longer term negative impacts.
Commenting on the research, Professor Kamal R. Mahtani, from the University of Oxford said: “Our comprehensive review, which systematically included over 132 unique studies, highlights some of the global impacts of COVID-19 related school closures. While there may be some association with reduced community transmission, there is also notable associations of harm, including worsening physical and mental health, loss of learning and increased domestic violence.”
The study found the body of evidence to be weak as a whole. This did not detract from the indication that several negative effects on children occurred. The reason for the incompleteness with the data is due to many of the studies of school closure being conducted under different circumstances and at different points during the pandemic waves.
The review will contribute to the UK COVID-19 inquiry and to assess decisions made by governments on schools during the pandemic.
The new study is published in the journal BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine, titled “School closures during COVID-19: an overview of systematic reviews.”
