The lasting impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic could be detrimental to some students, says a University of California–Irvine (UCI) professor. Mark Warschauer, UCI professor of education and informatics, said the consequences of shifting to a virtual environment for K-12 students—which all Orange County public districts have done at some point since the pandemic took hold March 2020—are wide-ranging. Remote learning has resulted in learning loss, achievement gaps and inequitable Internet access, Warschauer said. Social development, emotional well-being, and physical health have also suffered, he added. “There are going to be greater achievement gaps and social adjustments in the classroom, as some kids have thrived in the at-home learning environment and other kids have basically dropped out,” Warschauer said in a press release. “This is something districts need to be aware of and prepared to deal with. Those pandemic-induced issues are not going to immediately disappear when we start going back to school.” He said …