A new study estimates that 1.5 million children worldwide have experienced the death of a parent, grandparent or primary caregiver due to COVID-19.
Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Imperial College London looked at mortality data and fertility statistics from 21 countries, spanning March 2020 through April 2021.
They found that more one million children lost one or both parents, and another half a million children lost their primary caregivers.
In the U.S. alone, more than 110,000 children lost their parents or caregivers.
The researchers say that support is urgently needed for these children because orphaned youngsters face higher risks to their health, safety, and wellbeing.
'Out of control COVID-19 epidemics abruptly and permanently alter the lives of the children who are left behind,' said Dr Seth Flaxman, one of the study authors from Imperial College London.
Over 1.5 million children have lost a parent or caregiver due to Covid, a new study finds
Out of 21 countries studied, Peru had the highest rate of new orphans. Pictured: Medical staff transport a Covid patient in Arequipa, Peru
Compared to adults, children are less likely to have a severe case of COVID-19 and die from the disease.
But this lower risk obscures a terrible impact that the pandemic has had on kids.
With more than four million deaths worldwide, many children have lost their parents, grandparents, and other important adults in their lives to the virus.
Orphanhood - defined by the United Nations Children's Emergency Fund as the loss of one or both parents - can put children at great risk.
Orphaned children are more likely to face mental health issues, poverty, and physical, emotional, and sexual violence. They may also develop chronic conditions and are at higher risk for HIV/AIDS and other diseases.
Children who lose a primary caregiver who isn't their parent - such as a grandparent or another relative - are similarly at risk.
The research group included scientists from the CDC, Imperial College London, the University of Oxford, and other institution with findings were published Tuesday in The Lancet.
The scientists estimated how many children were left orphaned using mortality data from 21 countries that account for 77 percent of global COVID-19 deaths.
These mortality data included reported Covid deaths between March 2020 and April 2021, along with excess deaths from the same time period.
The researchers connected these death numbers to data on the number of children born in each country in recent years, as well as data on grandparents and other seniors living in multigenerational households.
After estimating the number of children orphaned in those 21 countries, the researchers extrapolated their
