LAUSR

To the editor: We read with interest the recent rapid evidence review by Brooks and colleagues about the impact of unplanned school closure on children’s social contact [1]. This review substantially aimed at investigating if children adhere to social isolation or continue to mix with others, limiting the effects of school closure and of quarantine. This is an important topic, the of dark side of which resides on effects of prolonged school closure on well-being of children, poorly considered in the current public debate on management of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) [2]. In this perspective, mental health of children and adolescents undergoes a sudden stress test during school closure, with increased risk of loneliness, addiction to videogames and binge watching, alteration of circadian rhythms, direct or assisted domestic violence, and academic achievement gaps. Especially for the latter, inequalities related to socioeconomic status and differences related to pre-existing vulnerabilities will be further amplified [2-4].