CDC Study Estimates Up to 140,000 U.S. Children Have Lost a Primary Caregiver to COVID-19

A new study released this estimates that more than 140,000 children in the U.S. have lost a parent or grandparent caregiver to COVID-19 between April 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021. The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, indicates that the risk of primary caregiver loss was 1.1 to 4.5 times higher among children of racial and ethnic minorities compared to non-Hispanic white counterparts. The lead author of the study from the U.S. Centers from Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) further estimates that over the past three months, the number of children that has lost a primary caregiver has risen to over 175,000.

The highest burden of COVID-19-associated death of parents and caregivers was found to have occurred in Southern border states for Hispanic children, Southeastern states for Black children, and in states with tribal areas for American Indian and Alaska Native populations. Authors of the study note the increased risks of short-term trauma and lifelong adverse consequences of children due to the loss of a primary caregiver.

Additional information from the CDC is available here. The full study is available here.