The long crusade of the coronavirus pandemic began in late 2019. Fast forward to present time, and we are approaching three years since the premier cases of the virus. During these long and “apocalyptic” years, COVID-19 has taken a tragic toll on the lives of people globally. Millions of exposures and deaths have inevitably occurred due to the fast-spreading and easily-transmittable nature of the respiratory virus. Responsively, several therapeutics companies such as Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson have developed groundbreaking vaccinations and booster shots to protect people from the harmful symptoms of the virus. Amidst the whirling storm of the past few pandemic years, a heartbreaking wave has crashed down on humanity: a shocking 10 million children have become orphaned due to losing their caregivers in the wake of COVID-19.
Amidst the whirling storm of the past few pandemic years, a heartbreaking wave has crashed down on humanity: a shocking 10 million children have become orphaned due to losing their caregivers in the wake of COVID-19.
It has become an increasingly difficult process to quantify principal total COVID-19 deaths, meaning deaths of individuals actively affected by COVID-19 symptoms at the time of death. Global aggregate deaths have previously been inaccurately estimated due to common biases. For example, countries with less available hospital resources tend to underreport deaths: in turn, they create downwardly biased COVID-19 statistics. Further, nations have differing jurisdictions on the types of COVID-19 death statistics and records that can be released publicly and hence have created inconsistencies in the data. Yet now, through statistical analyses of mortality, there are new and realistic estimates of the global COVID-19 excess death toll.
It is important to not only obtain accurate COVID-19 data but also to utilize the data to make a positive global impact. A 2022 research study in JAMA Pediatrics achieved just that by successfully estimating COVID-19 excess mortality totals with the specific intention of observing caregiver and primary parent loss. The study used the “Guidelines for Accurate and Transparent Health Estimates Reporting” and collected data primarily from the World Health Organization. Total deaths from Jan. 1, 2020, through Dec. 31, 2021, and Jan. 1, 2020, through May 1, 2022, were gathered and computed to present regional and national statistical estimates. The findings of the carefully gathered statistics showed that a globally estimated 10.5 million children lost a parent due to COVID-19 and 7.5 million children were left orphaned as a direct result of a caregiver’s death by COVID-19.
An important aspect of this data is that children in African and Southeast Asian nations experienced significantly more orphanhood compared to the Americas and Europe. The lack of crucial resources such as access to health care, hospitals, and vaccinations has continued to exacerbate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in some of these nations. Specifically, the issue of vast orphanhood due to the death of parents and caregivers hits disadvantaged communities and nations the hardest; these children are in severe deprivation of what they need to move forward with their lives.
The possible realities for many of the millions of children bereaved of parents by COVID-19-associated death are grave and heartbreaking. Orphaned children are at higher risk for institutionalization, emotional and behavioral complications, lack of proper education, poverty, abuse, and absence of overall support for their well-being. Due to the lack of time allotted to prepare for the devastation of orphanhood, many children end up in adverse situations and experience mental health challenges. They are at notably higher risk for contraction of chronic diseases and adolescent pregnancy.
The issue of vast orphanhood due to the death of parents and caregivers hits disadvantaged communities and nations the hardest; these children are in severe deprivation of what they need to move forward with their lives.
What needs to change? Many researchers who have analyzed excess COVID-19 mortality and resulting orphanhood believe that the acceleration of equitable vaccine access is imperative. To change the future narrative for children affected by the COVID-19 pandemic who have lost their caregivers, global prevention of disease and allocation of necessary medical resources and care is the first step. Further, communities must work to create publicly available personal and educational resources and fundraise in order to better advocate for orphaned children.
It is essential to provide an accurate and articulated global understanding of the extent of COVID-19 deaths to increase awareness of its severity. Through sharing this perspective, people can then become further educated about the millions of bereft children as a result of the virus and find ways to support them. For the many individuals affected by COVID-19 who haven’t experienced facing the death of a loved one or peer, the pandemic may have less gravity — for orphaned children, the COVID-19 pandemic will define the rest of their lives.
Sources:
JAMA Pediatrics (2022). DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.3157
The Lancet (2022). DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(21)02796-3
The Lancet (2021). DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(21)01253-8
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