More than 1.5 million children have lost a caregiver to the pandemic, according to a study.

Around 1.5 million children around the world have lost a mother, father or other caregiver parent in the first 14 months of the pandemic, according to a new study. Over a million primary caregivers lost.

“These anonymous children are the tragically overlooked consequence of millions of pandemic deaths,” the researchers wrote in the study, which was published in the medical journal The Lancet on Tuesday.

Many more children will suffer such losses as the virus rages through many countries, researchers predict, and those bereaved are at risk of a host of additional traumas that can include mental health issues, abuse, chronic illness. and poverty.

The estimates were developed using death statistics and other data for 21 countries that accounted for over 76% of global Covid deaths through April 30, 2021. The international research team was led by a member of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and included experts from international agencies including the World Health Organization and Imperial College London.

The death of grandparents is a severe blow for many children. “In the United States, 40% of grandparents living with grandchildren are their primary caregivers; in the UK 40% of grandparents take care of their grandchildren on a regular basis, ”the researchers wrote.

In a separate online report linked to the study, researchers warned that with the pandemic far from over and vaccinations not yet reaching large parts of the world’s population, caregiver deaths are likely to continue. to increase, with “serious consequences lasting at least until the age of 18 for the children concerned.

“The impact of these deaths of parents and caregivers differs among families, communities and nations,” the researchers wrote. “Yet there is one thing in common: a child’s life often collapses when they lose a parent or grandparent who cares for them.