Association between COVID-19 and outstanding academic performance at a Spanish university, 2023, Amer et al.

SNT Gatchaman

SNT Gatchaman

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Association between COVID-19 and outstanding academic performance at a Spanish university
Amer, Fares; López, Tamara; Gil-Conesa, Mario; Carlos, Silvia; Ariño, Arturo H; Carmona-Torre, Francisco; Martínez-González, Miguel A.; Fernandez-Montero, Alejandro

SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of COVID-19 identified in December 2019, an acute infectious respiratory disease that can cause persistent neurological and musculoskeletal symptoms such as headache, fatigue, myalgias difficulty concentrating, among others including acute cerebrovascular disease with a prevalence of 1–35%. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 in undergraduate students on their academic performance as an indicator of their intellectual ability and performance in a university that maintained 100% face-to-face teaching during the 2020–2021 academic year.

A total of 7,039 undergraduate students were analyzed in a prospective cohort study at the University of Navarra. A questionnaire including sociodemographic and behavioral questions was sent. PCRs were performed throughout the academic year for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection and students’ academic results were provided by the academic center, adjusted descriptive and multivariate models were performed to assess the association.

A total of 658 (9.3%) participants were diagnosed with COVID-19, almost 4.0% of them achieved outstanding academic results, while uninfected students did so in 7.3%. SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with a significant decrease in having outstanding academic results (OR = 0.57; 95% CI: 0.38–0.86).

Having COVID-19 disease, decreased academic performance in undergraduate students. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent infection even in the youngest sections of the population.

Link | PDF (Archives of Public Health)
 
Given that students on many courses need to keep up a steady process of attendance at lectures, reading, doing assignments etc, with some periods of high activity for assignment deadlines and exams, surely a bout of Covid lasting a couple of weeks when they may be able to do none of these can set them back sufficiently to shift outcomes from outstanding to good etc.
And of course some are likely to have Long Covid brain fog, and other symptoms that reduce academic performance.
 
Trish said:
Given that students on many courses need to keep up a steady process of attendance at lectures, reading, doing assignments etc, with some periods of high activity for assignment deadlines and exams, surely a bout of Covid lasting a couple of weeks when they may be able to do none of these can set them back sufficiently to shift outcomes from outstanding to good etc.
And of course some are likely to have Long Covid brain fog, and other symptoms that reduce academic performance.
Click to expand...
From what I've heard from parents, one bout is optimistic in some schools. One family have had three in one term, and then there's additional reasons for absence that are not covid.
 
Kiwipom said:
Association vs causation...Did the more sociable students who got COVID do too much partying and not enough staying at home studying?
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They did adjust for daily hours spent socializing.

But I wouldn't discount that it might be a case of more conscientious students were less likely to get Covid and more likely to get top marks.
 
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