This is a plain English summary of an original research article. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and reviewer(s) at the time of publication.
Researchers interviewed young people with long COVID, and some parents or caregivers of young people with long COVID, to explore the impact of the condition on their school life. They found that young people:
- were keen to get back to school and return to normal life
- struggled to balance their school life with managing debilitating and unpredictable symptoms
- were helped when schools took them seriously and offered adaptations.
The researchers hope their findings will help raise awareness of the issues faced by young people with long COVID who attempt to return to school, and of the support they need.
More information on long COVID can be found on the NHS website.
What impact does long COVID have on school life?
Young people with COVID-19 infections are unlikely to become severely ill and be admitted to hospital. They are also less likely than adults to develop long COVID (symptoms that persist more than 12 weeks after the initial infection). But some children do have long-term symptoms, which can include extreme fatigue, headache, brain fog, and shortness of breath.
Research into long COVID in young people is lacking, and little is known about its impact on their school life. Studies have, however, demonstrated the negative effects of chronic fatigue syndrome (also called myalgic encephalomyelitis or ME/CFS) on the social, emotional, and academic aspects of going to school. This long-term condition has some similarities to long COVID, which suggests that young people with long COVID might also struggle at school.
To explore the impact of long COVID on education and school, researchers interviewed young people, parents and caregivers.
Children and young people’s experiences of long COVID
Researchers interviewed 22 children and young people with long COVID (aged 10 to 18 years), and 15 parents or caregivers (some, but not all, were parents of children in the study). They identified 3 key findings.
1. Young people wanted to return to normal
Returning to school full time was seen as key to normal life, but illness and medical appointments made it difficult. Some parents said their child tried to continue as normal even when they were not well: “she will get herself ready… I’m like, ‘You are not well,’ and she’s like, ‘But I will try, Mummy.’”
Some young people felt stressed, isolated and worried; secondary school students were aware of the importance of education for their future and wanted to succeed in exams. One regretted: “...not being able to go to school or like see people my age… It’s all like online for me now over like social media or messages… people my age… [are] doing lots of things throughout the summer, but I just can’t.”
2. School takes energy
Engaging with school while trying to manage symptoms and avoid relapse was taxing; many young people had extreme fatigue, persistent headaches and other symptoms that meant they could not fully participate in school life. They often prioritised school and rest over hobbies or activities with family and friends.
A parent of an 11-year-old said she would do one day at school and then be in bed for two days: “She had pins and needles in her leg… she felt dizzy, nausea...” Many young people struggled with lessons: “Something’s just… blocking my thoughts… I can’t have more than one thought that leads to another one, it’s just like my brain is just a cement block… I’ve always enjoyed learning, but… it really stopped all that, just feeling really like stupid… impacts… your self-esteem.”
3. Schools had mixed responses
Parents noted that communication between schools and health professionals was sometimes poor, and awareness of long COVID lacking: “If the doctor doesn't provide any letters… it’s not that the school doesn't want to support a child, but they need to have some kind of evidence…” Schools wanted to know how many hours or how often young people could attend, and what activities they could do. But unpredictable symptoms made planning difficult.
Supportive practices included staff believing, understanding and taking pupils seriously, and offering tailored and flexible adaptations. One young person could listen to lessons through a robot: “I’ve got a robot now which can go into school… I do a day on… a Tuesday and a Thursday on the robot. So, if I’m tired, I can be in my bed, resting and just listening...”.
Why highlight these experiences?
The researchers believe this the first exploration into how long COVID affects school life. They found that young people wanted to be back at school, sharing experiences with their peers; absences from school were isolating and stressful. The research team hopes that the insights gained will help schools and health professionals to support children and young people with long COVID.
The study included a small sample of children, young people, parents and caregivers, and could not compare the experiences of people from different age groups, ethnicities and social classes.
What’s next?
This study is part of a larger project that aims to understand the experiences of children, young people and adults with long COVID, and its impact on family.
Several suggestions for schools and healthcare professionals came out of this study. They call for educational and healthcare professionals:
- to believe, understand and be willing to help young people return to school
- to recognise the difficulties parents may face (in facilitating contact between healthcare professionals and school, and in planning future school attendance due to the unpredictable nature of long COVID symptoms)
- to offer adaptations (such as reduced timetables or fewer subjects, rest passes, and appropriate technologies) tailored to individual and changing needs
- to ask staff about their experiences of supporting children and young people with long COVID to explore the help they might need.
If you’re interested in taking part in research about long COVID, visit Be Part of Research.
You may be interested to read
This is a summary of: MacLean A, and others. Impact of long covid on the school experiences of children and young people: a qualitative study. British Medical Journal Open 2023; 13: e075756.
Video clips from interviews with children, young people and parents with long COVID and information about its impact on families.
More information and support can be found at the charity Long Covid Kids.
Information from the University of Manchester about supporting a child with long COVID.
Another paper by the same researchers that looks at the experiences of children with long COVID: Wild C, and others. The double invisibility of long COVID in children. Social Science & Medicine 2024; 347: 116770.
A research paper by the same team that explores the experiences of young adults with long COVID. Hunt K, and others. Young adults’ experiences of biographical retrogression whilst living with Long Covid. Sociology of Health and Illness 12 June 2024.
Funding: This study was funded by the NIHR Long COVID Programme.
Conflicts of Interest: No relevant conflicts were declared. Full disclosures are available on the original paper.
Disclaimer: Summaries on NIHR Evidence are not a substitute for professional medical advice. They provide information about research which is funded or supported by the NIHR. Please note that the views expressed are those of the author(s) and reviewer(s) at the time of publication. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.
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