School Closures And Mask Mandates Linked With Lower IQ In Children, Prominent Psychologists Claim

 School closures and mask mandates have been disastrous for children, stunting both their social and intellectual development.  Despite this, many states and school districts kept schools closed long after it was revealed that Covid-19 presents a minimal threat to the safety of children.  As of this year, 16 states still have mask mandates in public schools.  Democratic Governors and school boards played politics and our children have paid the price.  This week, two prominent psychologists revealed the extent to which children have been negatively affected by school closures and mask mandates.  The Epoch Times Reports–

Dr. Mark McDonald cited an Aug. 11 study by Brown University (pdf) that found that “children born during the pandemic have significantly reduced verbal, motor, and overall cognitive performance compared to children born pre-pandemic,” during an interview with host Cindy Drukier on a Dec. 25 episode of NTD’s “The Nation Speaks.”

The masks, “Zoom schools,” and lockdown mandates have led to “deprivation overall, of social contact, [of] not being able to see faces, being stuck at home all day long, [and this] has actually caused brain damage to the youngsters,” he said.

In a separate interview on the episode, Carl Heneghan, director of Oxford University’s Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine, discussed how pandemic restrictions have worsened psychological problems in children.

Heneghan cited a study that he published in October that concluded that 8 out of 10 children reported worsening behavior and psychological symptoms as a result of negative feelings associated with Covid-19.

He went on to say that instilling fear in children over Covid-19 and school closures were a mistake.

“The first thing is to deescalate any fear and anxiety around COVID for children,” Heneghan said. “For children, [COVID] is actually a very safe disease” and children shouldn’t be worried about the impact of COVID “on themselves or their future health.”

He said that “shutting areas like schools was a mistake,” as keeping them open is good for education, “social connectedness, and well-being.”

“We should really prioritize education and those interventions that are in children’s best interest,” he said.