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Women and children among worst affected by pandemic, inquiry told

A variety of groups gave their opening statements to the Scottish Covid Inquiry on Wednesday.

Ryan McDougall
Wednesday 25 October 2023 12:18 EDT
The inquiry was told the voice of children was not heard on policy around vaccination, and other issues (Peter Byrne/PA)
The inquiry was told the voice of children was not heard on policy around vaccination, and other issues (Peter Byrne/PA) (PA Wire)

Women and children were among the worst affected by the Covid pandemic ā€“ and many youngsters saw their childhood ā€œblightedā€, an inquiry has heard.

On day two of the Scottish Covid-19 Inquiry on Wednesday, organisations including Long Covid Kids Scotland and Scottish Womenā€™s Rights Organisations ā€“ an umbrella term for a number of bodies ā€“ gave opening statements to chairman Lord Brailsford.

Andrew Webster KC, representing Long Covid Kids Scotland, told the panel of the hardships faced by children with long Covid.

He said: ā€œThe children of Scotland should be able to thrive and look forward to a positive future.

ā€œLong Covid, the long-term illness caused by Covid-19, has blighted that prospect for too many.

ā€œFor too many, long Covid presents a seemingly insurmountable obstacle to an engaged, fulfilling and productive life.

ā€œThe inquiry is embarked upon its listening project, letā€™s be heard.

ā€œIn an adult world, the voice of children is too often ignored, disregarded or belittled.ā€

He then asked the room whether the voice of children was heard, or if they ā€œwere simply told how it was going to beā€.

He added: ā€œFor reasons I find unfathomable, we have been precluded by the inquiry from allowing the voice of a child to be heard in these opening statements.ā€

Mr Webster then read a statement from an anonymous child suffering from long Covid symptoms.

Quoting the child, he said: ā€œCoronavirus doesnā€™t only affect children like you, many of our parents got it too, so we had to stay at home and try to look after each other, but many of us got worse and needed extra help from doctors.

ā€œOur parents were often scared. It seems like a long time ago that we felt well, and could do some of the fun things we like to do.

ā€œWeā€™re still at home and weā€™re still unwell. Many of us are still in bed a lot of the time. It can be boring, annoying, frustrating and tiring and we miss our friends. We miss feeling well.ā€

We want to feel better again, and when we asked when we will feel better, nobody can tell us when that might be. It's making us sad

Child with long Covid symptoms

He concluded by asking if the long-term effects of long Covid in children are considered by the Scottish Government.

Deirdre Domingo, of Scottish Womenā€™s Rights Organisations, told the inquiry that the idea that the pandemic affected everyone equally should be ā€œfirmly dispelledā€.

She said women, particularly from black and minority ethnicities, were far more affected when compared to the wider population.

Ms Domingo said a key area of concern was the rise in domestic violence and sexual abuse.

She said stay at home measures may have ā€œoverlooked that for many people, home was not the safest place to beā€.

She added: ā€œOne of the consequences of the imposition of lockdown and isolation rules was a rise in domestic abuse and violence.

ā€œAs explained by Scottish Womenā€™s Aid in their written submissions to the Equalities and Human Rights Committee of Scottish Parliament, anxiety about coronavirus, frustrations related to quarantine, economic uncertainty due to a loss of jobs, harmful consumption of alcohol or other stresses, do not cause domestic abuse.

ā€œDomestic abuse is a pattern of behaviour that instils fear and is used by abusers to maintain control.

ā€œMeasures taken to address the pandemic including lockdowns, early release of prisoners, closure of schools, working from home, reduction in the work of courts, and closure of some services and transition of others to remote provision provide additional tools for abusers to exercise that control and they remove the opportunities for women to seek help.ā€

Claire Mitchell KC, representing Scottish Covid Bereaved, told the inquiry that the hearing presents an opportunity for ā€œreal change and accountabilityā€.

As the inquiry entered into the afternoon, the panel heard statements from Eilish Lindsay of Scottish Hazards and James Keegan KC, representing the Scottish Trade Union Congress (STUC).

Mr Keegan told of the ā€œvery significantā€ impact Covid had on the wellbeing and finances of workers.

He cited ā€œthe malign impact of austerity and Scotlandā€™s ability to effectively implement planning and readiness for a pandemic during the decade that preceded the Covidā€.

He added: ā€œEvidence will demonstrate the underfunding in health and social care caused by austerity had a significant adverse effect on planning and readiness for the Covid emergency.

ā€œPreparation requires not only planning, but also the capacity of public services in health and social care.

ā€œPublic services are greatly diminished and weakened by years of budget cuts that impacted on the ability of our national and local governments to respond quickly and effectively to the sudden and devastating shock of a national emergency.ā€

Ms Lindsay, representing Scottish Hazards, spoke of businesses who would ā€œbend the rulesā€ during the pandemic.

She said Scottish Hazards does not believe that all employers in the health and social care sector ā€œwere taking the law and statutory guidance seriouslyā€.

The inquiry continues.

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