Research conducted by the University of Melbourne and The Royal Children’s Hospital have implicated that the indirect impacts of COVID-19 potentially can have “broad, long-lasting implications for children.” Although children generally have low health consequences in matters of the pandemic, the restrictions implemented to control the disease can have indirect effects in the long term. The research, led by Professor Sharon Goldfield identified three broad areas of issues that need intervention: the child level, family level and at the service level. Academically, remote learning has resulted in compromised student engagement, particularly in children already facing difficulties or belonging to families where parents have a lower level of educational attainment. The authors wrote that “almost half of the Australian student population risks having their learning severely compromised due to COVID-19-related school closures, either because they are an early year’s student or are experiencing adversity.” Reduced physical activity and increased screentime can …