More than 140,000 US minors have lost a parent or guardian to the coronavirus

A total of 142,637 American minors lost a parent or guardian to covid-19 between April 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021, according to a study published this Thursday by the National Institutes of Health (NIH, in English). ) from USA and Pedriatics magazine.

The analysis indicates that one in every 500 children and adolescents in the country has been left without a parent or grandparent who took care of them.

Specifically, the study authors estimate that 120,630 minors in the US have lost a “primary caregiver”, that is, either one of their parents or grandparents who was in charge of covering their basic needs and accommodation.

In addition, a total of 22,007 children or adolescents have faced the loss of a “secondary caregiver”, which the researchers define as a grandparent who gives them accommodation but does not respond to their basic needs.

To this is added that there are racial and geographical disparities, because minors from ethnic minorities account for 65% of those who have been left without one of their parents or guardians due to the pandemic.

According to the study, the lives of children and adolescents are forever marked by the loss of a father, mother or grandfather who takes care of them.

In fact, orphanhood is linked to mental health problems, low self-esteem, risky sexual behaviors and a greater danger that minors will end up using drugs, commit suicide or be exploited, among others, the text indicates.

“Children facing orphanhood as a result of COVID is a secret, global pandemic that the United States sadly has not been spared,” said study lead author Susan Hillis, a researcher at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Disease Prevention (CDC).

This work is the result of a collaboration between the CDC, Imperial College London and the universities of Harvard (USA), Oxford (UK) and Cape Town (South Africa).

To develop the analysis, the researchers used mortality, fertility, and census data, and matched them with the death toll of guardians of minors at the national and state levels.

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