Paediatric Bioethics Centre, University College London Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK.
Paediatric Bioethics Centre, University College London Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK
J Med Ethics. 2020 Aug;46(8):508-509. doi: 10.1136/medethics-2020-106465. Epub 2020 Jun 5.
Countries throughout the world are counting the health and socioeconomic costs of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the strategies necessary to contain it. Profound consequences from social isolation are beginning to emerge, and there is an urgency about charting a path to recovery, albeit to a 'new normal' that mitigates them. Children have not suffered as much from the direct effects of COVID-19 infection as older adults. Still, there is mounting evidence that their health and welfare are being adversely affected. Closure of schools has been a critical component of social isolation but has a far broader impact than the diminution of educational opportunities, as important as these are. Reopening of schools is therefore essential to recovery, with some countries already tentatively implementing it. Children's interests are vital considerations in any recovery plan, but the question remains as to how to address them within the context of how society views children; should they be regarded as pawns, pathfinders or partners in this enterprise?
世界各地的国家都在计算 COVID-19 大流行的健康和社会经济成本，包括遏制它所需的策略。社会隔离带来的深远后果开始显现，当务之急是规划一条复苏之路，尽管是走向减轻这些后果的“新常态”。儿童受到 COVID-19 感染的直接影响不如老年人严重。尽管如此，越来越多的证据表明，他们的健康和福利受到了不利影响。学校关闭是社会隔离的一个关键组成部分，但它的影响远远超出了教育机会的减少，尽管这些机会很重要。因此，学校重新开放对于复苏至关重要，一些国家已经在试探性地实施这一措施。在任何复苏计划中，儿童的利益都是至关重要的考虑因素，但问题仍然是，在社会如何看待儿童的背景下，如何解决这些问题；应该将他们视为这一事业中的棋子、探路者还是合作伙伴？
