[Impacts of the covid-19 pandemic on children and adolescents]

IMPACTS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS. The Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown measures taken to limit the spread of the virus have caused significant changes in the daily lives of the whole population including children and adolescents. School closure and physical distancing significantly interfere with their learning and social life deeply impacting their health and education. The most vulnerable children (personal history of mental health or neurodevelopmental disorders, chronic physical illness) were also those the most significantly affected by the Sars-CoV-2 pandemic. However, data remains scarce today, and it remains a major challenge to conduct longitudinal studies that will enable the development of primary prevention programs in the general population and secondary prevention programs in already affected children.

Eating disorders during a pandemic

The COVID-19 health crisis has had an impact on the development and worsening of eating disorders at all ages. Change of routine, isolation and encouragement to exercise and maintain a healthy weight were contributing factors, while continued care seemed to have slowed the increase in eating symptoms. Telemedicine, widely developed in this context, has shown its effectiveness and acceptability. Its widespread use should be encouraged, as should the use of digital psycho-education tools for patients and their families. © 2021