As teenagers are moving towards adulthood, they are evolutionarily agitated to become increasingly reliant on their peers and increasingly independent from their parents. This is because scientists have noted that there are crucial biological changes that occur in adolescence, including augmented oxytocin receptors that intensify the pressure of friendship among their peers. This depicts that, unlike other age groups, adolescents are more agitated to spend more time with peers than with their parents. Therefore, with current social-distancing, canceled events, and online schooling due to COVID-19, adolescents, are the most impacted. That is why it is essential to explore some developmental impacts and interventions that primary care providers can offer to curb those impacts.

The common aspects of adolescents’ growth and development impacted by social-distancing, online schooling, and canceled events include social and emotional developments (Lessard & Schacter, 2020). Researchers have shown that the lack of physical peer interaction can harm teenagers’ social skills such as understanding of nonverbal emotional cues. Consequently, this can augment psychological distress and may intensify psychiatric susceptibility and aggravate existing mental challenges (Lessard & Schacter, 2020). In order to ensure that youths continue to develop emotionally and socially, adolescents need to understand that the disease does not affect them the same way as it affects adults.

Therefore, as a primary care provider, one needs to reassure the adolescents that COVID-19 is not likely to make them seriously sick if they do not have underlying conditions that expose them to the risk. Primary caregivers can as well aid adolescents in developing a consistent schedule to maintain a sense of normalcy like time to get assignments done and engage in distance learning as well as time to exercise and get outside the house even if it is for a short time (Lessard & Schacter, 2020). Finally, Lessard and Schacter (2020) propose that adolescents ought to be helped to access to the internet and necessary technology for them to reach to friends via virtual platforms to be in touch and maintain social connections.