How are Brazilian children dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic?

What began as a public health emergency is now transforming into a sweeping mental health concern for children and teenagers, who are forced to contend with social isolation, grief, and a transition to distance learning. It is becoming increasingly clear that this crisis will outlast the Covid-19 pandemic by some distance.

In the wake of these new concerns, the American Academy of Pediatrics and Children’s Hospital Association launched an awareness campaign to highlight the growing crisis and share ideas on what governments and communities can do to ensure families have access to mental health care.

In Brazil, researchers are studying this phenomenon. 

Scientists from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) began a broad study last year to investigate how Brazilian children have been affected by the pandemic, which has caused over 430,000 deaths in the country.

The first results from this study were released last week, containing observations and warnings about the impact of suspending in-person teaching activities as a way to prevent Covid-19 transmission. Researchers spoke to over 2,200 volunteers aged between 8 and 12, who filled out online questionnaires and submitted written, sketched,...