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Global Health Economics and
Sustainability
COVID-19 changed our world

such as concerns about their future and family health, the The surge in their caseloads necessitated longer working
pressure to satisfy the expectations of students, parents, hours, often with limited resources and questionable
and school administrations, financial difficulties, and infrastructure (Shigemura et al., 2020). Personal protective
the need to balance professional and personal or family equipment (PPE) was crucial for their safety but it also
responsibilities (Jakubowski & Sitko-Dominik, 2021). caused great physical discomfort and sometimes resulted
These factors collectively contributed to the declining in breathing difficulties. Many HCPs felt unprepared for
mental and emotional well-being of teachers. their roles because of the absence of pre-existing guidelines
or evidence-based treatments for the new virus (Huang et
4.1.3. COVID-19 and the mental health of children and al., 2020). Medical care professionals (MCPs) also feared
adolescents infecting loved ones and concerns about autoinoculation
Schools function crucially in the lives of students, further compounded their stress (Kang et al., 2020). Many
providing them with educational resources as well as HCPs isolated themselves from their usual social circles
valuable opportunities to interact with teachers and peers. and changed their daily routines to safeguard others; in
However, children often become less physically active on some cases, they even separated themselves from their
weekends or during summer breaks when they are not families. Notwithstanding these drawbacks, the pandemic
in school. They tend to spend more time facing screens, elevated HCPs to superhero status, enhancing the perceived
experience irregular sleep patterns, and consume less value of their roles and boosting their job satisfaction.
nutritious food. These changes can contribute to weight However, public recognition also increased pressure on
gain and poor cardiorespiratory health (Brazendale et al., them and reduced room for error. The media portrayal
2017). The COVID-19 pandemic intensified such problems of HCPs as heroes was driven by the sensational nature
by imposing physical limitations and social isolation on of the pandemic and underscored the need for positive
children and adolescents. Thus, it significantly impacted reinforcement and acknowledgment (Sandesh et al., 2020).
every aspect of the lives of youngsters. Relatively fewer Consequently, the COVID-19 pandemic evidently exerted
children contracted the disease but the more wide-ranging a profound negative impact on the mental health of a
effects of social exclusion, school closures, and isolation significant number of healthcare workers.
exerted profound negative effects on their emotional and
mental well-being (Meherali et al., 2021). 4.1.5. COVID-19 and migrant workers
The shift from face-to-face learning to online education The impact of the pandemic was especially severe on
introduced substantial stressors for children, particularly migrant workers and the homeless, who were often bereft
in developing nations such as India in which online of stable shelters and were thus more vulnerable to social,
teaching was not widely established before the pandemic. psychological, and emotional trauma (Verma & Prakash,
According to UNESCO, school closures affected 320 2020). Many migrants were already among the most
million students in India and nearly 1.725 billion students marginalized social groups and their survival depended
globally by May 18, 2020. Key obstacles included the paucity on daily wages. Thus, their immediate anxieties during
of digital devices, insufficient digital skills, and unreliable the pandemic included securing food, housing, and health
Internet connections (Hassan et al., 2020). Children and care even as they grappled with the fear of contracting
adolescents in Jammu and Kashmir experienced severe or spreading infection, worried about the loss of wages,
Internet connectivity issues in the early stages of COVID- and agonized about the safety of their families (Singh,
19 because of restricted 4G access, which further hampered 2020). Besides such challenges, migrants also sometimes
their education. As a result, the children faced increased confront negative reactions and intimidation from local
pandemic-related stressors such as limited educational communities.
resources, fear of infection, boredom, inadequate personal In response, the state and central governments in India
space at home, and family financial losses. These factors attempted to mitigate such issues by providing shelter
contribute to heightened anxiety, depression, sleep and food to migrant workers. However, the effectiveness
disturbances, appetite changes, and social dysfunction in of these measures remains uncertain. Media reports
children and adolescents (Brooks et al., 2020). frequently highlighted the struggles of migrants traveling
long distances to return home on foot or by bicycle.
4.1.4. COVID-19 and the mental health of medical According to the International Labor Organization, the
professionals pandemic resulted in a 6.7% reduction in working hours
Health-care professionals (HCPs) faced an elevated risk globally, and 195 million full-time jobs were lost in the
of burnout during the pandemic and were significantly second quarter of 2020 alone (International Labour
more likely to experience stress, anxiety, and depression. Organization, 2020). A total of 255 million full-time jobs

Volume 3 Issue 1 (2025) 46 https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.3992