Woodpiles bear literal and symbolic relevance at a time of mass pyres of burning bodies – bodies that died not only due to COVID but due to the absence of oxygen, medication, timely and trained care. Lost amongst the remains of a healthcare system that was simply never empowered or prepared to take on the COVID-19 Second Wave, wood-piles pile up, one after another, burning bodies that can lay no claim to cultural memorialisation – neither in narrative nor perhaps, considering the controversial ethics of recording being reported in the media, in data and figures. It is not surprising then that in the face of such apathy toward the documentation of the lives and numbers of the dead and dying, the narratives of the children of the nation remains buried, unnoticed and oppressed, under the woodpile – of bodies, of state priorities, of media narratives.

The second wave of the pandemic has shown to be more infectious toward children than the first wave. The Scroll reports that 69,000 children have tested COVID positive in the second wave, mostly from the states of Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, and Delhi. Times Now states that for every reported case, there are two more positive children not reported. While the data is uncertain, COVID-care wards and ICUs report greater admissions in the second wave. Common symptoms in children are rashes, fever, digestion concerns, breathing issues, and dry cough. It is recommended that a child is tested and treated as soon as symptoms emerge as early detection can help in cure, specially when children have comorbidities. There is notas yet any specific COVID treatment protocol or vaccine for children though several companies have begun trials. Most children, however, demonstrate more resilience and higher rates of recovery from COVID than adults. Keep children home, observe, test if symptoms, and treat.

We are witnessing appeals and requests on social media and whatsapp about adopting a child who has lost their parents to COVID. Such appeals are a matter of severe concern as it opens the door for child trafficking and crime. It is crucial to stop any such practice and report such children only to authorised agencies who can provide them essential supplies, cooked food, and test them for COVID. The agencies will further try to rehabilitate the children within immediate or extended family and will survey the family too and, if that is not an option, institutionalise them as per the due process. If you come across such a child, please contact 1098 (Childline India) and, for Delhi, 9311551393 (Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights).

Amidst a plummeting healthcare infrastructure and mounting deaths, panic is intense and hope is low, and yet, we may hold on to a fact that one day, the bodily and physical risk of the pandemic will surely subside. And then there will then be a longer journey the nation must make in a psychological and emotional integration of the loss, grief, helplessness, anxiety, pain, and trauma experienced in the times of COVID. The psycho-emotional journey of recovery is as crucial for children as it is for adults who have experienced death of loved ones (parents, grandparents, uncles, and aunts), have absorbed the anxiousness and helplessness of homes battling to provide basic healthcare to family members, have lost on an entire year of embodied education and its aspects of social integration and play that is so fundamental for the body and mind of a child, and many have experienced significant fall in quality of life, including food and nutrition, due to the intense unemployment and economic collapse brought on by COVID.

It is necessary for India to gear up today to respond to the long-term needs of children that will emerge through the COVID crisis. Mental health experts suggest families and caregivers to provide children focused attention, to encourage them to express their thoughts and feelings, and engage them in playing with toys and non-screen activities. Psycho-emotional support to children will be relevant in the short run and the long run as they must process the experiences undergone in the years to come. Similarly it is crucial that the state looks into monetary support for families who have experienced loss due to the collapse of the health infrastructure in responding to COVID, which will directly contribute toward enhancing the quality of life for children in such families. Additionally, it will be crucial to care for the educational futures of children who have lost a caregiver or a parent in this period. Sonu Sood has called for the state to provide complete education support to such children to ensure their futures remain bright. Such and many measures must be immediately strategised as well as rolled out before the harm is too deep and recovery even more challenging, for support that comes too late amounts to no support at all. Let’s ensure that the rights of our children, at least, are protected from the man-made catastrophe of COVID response in India.

1. https://scroll.in/latest/991698/coronavirus-over-79000-children-tested-positive-since-march-as-india-grapples-with-second-wave

2. https://www.timesnownews.com/health/article/why-more-children-seem-to-be-infected-by-covid-19-and-symptoms-to-watch-out-for/746995

3. https://youtu.be/szhlCrLVJYM