Module 8 of the Long Covid inquiry in the UK set out to determine the impact on Children and Young People. Due to the way the inquest has been setup Long Covid has been a secondary issue in prior modules mostly addressed as something only the Long Covid participants were allowed to bring up as the last questions of a person giving evidence. However module 8 has brought this big issue more to the front since its a direct impact on children. The main questioning alas has largely focussed on the more mainstream view that lockdowns caused damage rather than the virus.
The closing statement from Long Covid Kids and Long Covid Kids Scotland lays out the extent of the failures of governments across the UK including the fact this is a breach of their human rights. It is obviously a breach of adult Long Covid patient human rights as well.
LCK and LCKS embarked on Module 8 wanting answers to why their children are unwell, why so little was done to help them and why, even now, the most basic steps have not been taken in response to a new paediatric disease. The answer to those questions, to the extent that answers have been provided to the Inquiry, is shameful. Even after the evidence of paediatric Long Covid was brought to the attention of the UK Government and the devolved administrations, decision makers did not take the necessary steps to protect children from developing Long Covid. To the contrary, the existence of paediatric Long Covid was ignored or minimised. Even now, five years after the onset of the virus, wholly inadequate steps have been taken to assist children who developed Long Covid to access healthcare and education. These failures constitute an ongoing breach of the Government’s duty to place the best interests of children at the heart of their decision making, and to respect the human rights of those children and their families.
The Closing Statement then considers six failures of Government in responding to paediatric Long Covid, namely the failures to: (i) prevent chronic illness; (ii) ensure access to education; (iii) monitor disease and collect data; (iv) to warn the public; (v) to inform and guide schools; and (vi) to ensure access to healthcare.
This significant disease affecting millions in the UK has no prevention and people are still beginning to suffer from it today in 2026, it has not stopped or gone away. There is no education for medicine or anyone else on the disease. Collection of data on prevalence has been ceased by government. The public is totally unaware, government has never said the words “Long Covid” publicly at all. Schools have not been informed about the disease and there is no healthcare provision for it currently, it was all shut down in 2024.
This document lays out the damning evidence of intentional neglect by government in all aspects around this disease.
The situation remains dire.
[1] Long Covid Kids/Long Covid Kids Scotland closing statement document
https://covid19.public-inquiry.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/06133640/INQ000661767.pdf