WHAT THE VACCINE WON'T FIX

THE FUTURE OF AN ENTIRE GENERATION IS AT RISK 

It was initially said that Covid-19 affected older adults in greater proportion and that they should be the most protected in society. However, it was late to realize that the children were the most harmed by the pandemic in terms of mental health.

On the one hand, quarantine forced thousands of people around the world to remain locked in their homes, which caused among many things, an increase in domestic violence by up to 60% in most Latin American countries according to the Europe director for the WHO. It is important to note that regions with medium and low economic resources are the focus of this type of violence. Factors such as unemployment, health and food are just the tip of the iceberg that hides a whole picture of violence where the victims are women and children who tend to grow up with trauma and psychological consequences in the medium and long term.

Another aspect that affects children's mental health is the fact that they can't go to schools, play with their friends, or discover their abilities correctly. This causes big levels of anxiety in them and a feeling of pressure to adapt to a "new normal" that is quite far from their social environment and that not even adults have managed to cope completely.

I remember at work seeing a child crying because he didn't want to wear the face mask, he said it was hindered him and didn’t let him breathe well. And now I wonder, how to force it? Why take away the freedom to experience and develop his senses of taste and smell? Of course, biosecurity measures must be followed and everyone's protection sought, but my concern is what is the little one's fault that we are going through one of the worst situations in human history? What's the children's fault for being locked up? Will they see it as punishment? Will they remember this time as the worst of their lives? There are many questions that arise me about what will go through their little heads.

In addition, I think of children who have already faced problems such as racial, economic and cultural inequalities since before the pandemic, who because of poverty, have been taken away the opportunity for adapting better to the crisis. According to the United Nations in its Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, it is estimated that at least 500 million students do not have access to virtual education and that only 65% of schools comply with the basic regulations for covid-19 prevention in classrooms. Therefore, the ability for many children to continue their studies are being reduced and poses a major threat to the future of societies worldwide.

In conclusion, I believe that a generation of children full of trauma, emptiness and disorders is starting out and they will need more than a vaccine to cope with the consequences. Children will need support and accompaniment from families and even more from the government, who must provide the necessary tools to ensure the mental health of those who will make the society decisions in the future.

Sources

D., 2021. OMS confirma aumento de violencia contra mujeres por cuarentenas | DW | 08.05.2020. [online] 

Matt Villano, C., 2021. Why kids are hitting the pandemic wall. [online] CNN. 

NBC News. 2021. An overwhelming toll: What America’s children have lost during the pandemic. [online] 

United Nations Sustainable Development. 2021. Education. [online]