Campaigners for children with long Covid say they are "profoundly disappointed" after being refused official status to participate when the UK Covid inquiry focuses on the consequences of the pandemic on children and young people. Long Covid Kids and Long Covid Kids Scotland had applied for core participant status for Module 8 of the inquiry, which promises to "examine the impact of the pandemic on children and young people in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland". Public hearings for the module are unlikely to take place until 2026, but the inquiry opened to applications for core participant status in May.
READ MORE: Why some scientists are saying it's time to stop talking about 'long Covid' From long Covid to PANDAS - are we finally starting to unravel post-viral illness? The Covid inquiries: The highs, the lows, and the revelations so far Core participants are legally represented during proceedings and have the right to review relevant documents, ask questions of witnesses, or make submissions in an opening and closing statement to the Inquiry. Following their application in June, the inquiry found that the charities had met the legal test of having “significant interest” in the matters being investigated. However, the inquiry's chair, Baroness Hallett has provisionally refused to grant the groups core participant status, arguing that it is not necessary to be able to explore the UK and devolved governments' understanding about the risk long Covid posed for ch.