Voices of Children with Long Covid - Research by Middlesex University in collaboration with Long Covid Kids. Before entering scroll down for instructions and information

Instructions: "Click 'Enter Exhibition' above then click on the top right circle menu and select 'Enter Fullscreen'. You can either navigate manually by clicking on a picture and then using the ‘previous’ and ‘next’ icons on the bottom right, OR click on the circle menu and select 'Start tour'. You can click ‘pause Tour’ to read the descriptions and then click the circle menu and select ‘Start tour’ again. Also, do this if the tour gets stuck. If viewing on a phone/tablet, you must turn the phone/tablet on its side to landscape view"

Voices of children with Long COVID

It is now 3 years since the first lockdown in the UK to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. However, many people are living with ongoing consequences of contracting COVID-19, having developed a chronic condition known as post-COVID syndrome or Long COVID. This includes children, who were initially considered by the Government to to be low risk from the ill effects COVID-19.

With the support of the charity Long COVID Kids, we conducted research with children who are living with Long COVID to help understand and raise awareness of the impact on them and their families. We interviewed 15 children and their mothers. We asked children to draw pictures of their lives both before and now living with Long COVID to help illustrate their experience.

This exhibition displays these drawings and what the children said about them. Where children were too unwell to draw, they selected photographs or other images. In order to protect their anonymity, we have used pseudonyms and a few of the photographs have been replaced with stock images.

The exhibition highlights the devastating impact of Long COVID on their lives. Children experienced multiple and sometimes varied debilitating physical and cognitive symptoms which prevented most from engaging in normal daily activities such as going to school, going out with friends, and engaging in hobbies, and meant much of their time was spent resting or in bed. This resulted in missing out on life and a loss of childhood. Yet, despite this, and not knowing when they may get better, the children remained determined and optimistic.

For further information on this project please contact Dr Camille Alexis-Garsee, c.alexis-garsee@mdx.ac.uk and Dr Nicky Payne, n.payne@mdx.ac.uk; Department of Psychology, Middlesex University, London. We are currently analysing the interviews and a paper will be forthcoming.

In association with Long COVID Kids and 15 amazing children and their families. If you would like further information on Long Covid in children or if you need support for a child with Long Covid, then please contact the Long Covid Kids charity via www.longcovidkids.org

Music by Jul by Scott Buckley | www.scottbuckley.com.au
Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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