Parents in the suburbs of the US capital say prolonged school closures aiming to curb the Covid-19 pandemic are taking a toll on school children's mental health and hampering their ability to learn and grow. Deanna Caputo, a psychologist and mother of two in Arlington, Virginia, says she started noticing symptoms of depression in her son after eight weeks of remote learning. In nearby Falls Church, Daniel Mooney sits all day in his basement as he follows classes on his computer. "It makes me feel lonely," he says, days before his ninth birthday.