Thousands Of Florida Children Have Lost A Parent To Coronavirus

FLORIDA — A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics estimates that thousands of children across the country lost at least one parent to coronavirus.

“The number of children experiencing a parent dying of COVID-19 is staggering, with an estimated 37 300 to 43 000 already affected,” researchers wrote.

Their model suggests that each COVID-19 death leaves .078 children 17 and younger dealing with the loss of a parent during the pandemic. This represents an increase in parental bereavement, ranging from 17.5 percent to 20.2 percent higher than normal, according to the study.

In Florida, 33,780 residents have died from COVID-19 as of Wednesday morning, according to state data. Applying the researchers’ methods to this figure, this means about 2,600 Florida children have had a parent who has died from the virus.

In comparison, the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center left about 3,000 children without a parent, researchers said.

The number of bereaved children will only continue to grow if the United States relies on “a natural herd immunity strategy,” according to researchers. This could result in as many as 1.5 million COVID-19 deaths and potentially 116,900 parentally bereaved children.

Researchers also noted “Black children are disproportionately affected, comprising only 14 (percent) of children in the US but 20 (percent) of those losing a parent to COVID-19.”

All children experiencing this loss of a parent are “at elevated risk of traumatic grief, depression, poor educational outcomes, and unintentional death or suicide,” researchers said. These issues could follow them into adulthood.

They added, “Sudden parental death, such as that occurring owing to COVID-19, can be particularly traumatizing for children and leave families ill prepared to navigate its consequences. Moreover, COVID-19 losses are occurring at a time of social isolation, institutional strain, and economic hardship, potentially leaving bereaved children without the supports they need.”

The study calls for “sweeping national reforms…to address the health, educational and economic fallout affecting children.”

Researchers suggested establishing a national child bereavement cohort to identify the children affected by COVID-19 deaths and direct their families to local resources.