Children and COVID-19

Globally, the impacts of COVID-19 on children have been understated. Researchers are now ramping up their focus on the much younger population. But what are the lessons across Africa, where children make up 40% of the population?

Written by Todah Opeyemi

Mar 8, 2022

Photography by NCDC / TWITTER.

Lagos, Nigeria—It came as a surprise to Yetunde Aremu when her husband tested positive for COVID-19 on 20 August 2021. Since they first learned of the pandemic in 2020, Aremu’s family had observed all COVID protocols. They stayed at home, washed their hands frequently and kept their guests at a minimum. Less than a week after her husband, Aremu tested positive. But it didn’t stop there. While recovering in their house in Lekki, their nine-year-old son also tested positive and, soon after, their one-year-old baby had the same results. ‘The most concerning thing with kids, especially babies,’ Aremu said, ‘is that they are not able to articulate and would just cry.’

Earlier in 2021, one of Aremu’s neighbours had died from COVID. Aremu, a media professional, told The Republic, ‘My children know what COVID-19 means and the impact it could have because they knew our neighbour died from complications that arose from COVID.’ But the pandemic has shaped how Aremu and her family now interact with their world. ‘For my nine-year-old, he was very quick to tell me when something was wrong with him,’ she said, adding that, ‘it feels like malaria, but you know that this is more than malaria, it’s not your average malaria, it’s different, there is just more, there is extra.’ Aremu believed it was the most terrifying illness her son had ever had, but it was easier to take care of him than the baby. With the baby, who needed breastfeeding, Aremu’s wondered how to ensure her testing positive did not get in the way of her child’s nutrition.

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About the Author

Todah Opeyemi

is a junior editor at The Republic.

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Children and COVID-19