A new research model has estimated that nearly 40,000 children have lost at least one of their parents to COVID-19 as the country sees an increase in the administration of vaccine doses and hospitalizations among young people.
According to an analysis released last week by JAMA Pediatrics, researchers at Stony Brook University, the University of Western Ontario, Penn State University and the University of Southern California estimated that nearly 40,000 children ages 0 to 17 lost a parent to COVID during the pandemic. .
“ The number of children whose parents die from COVID-19 is staggering, with an estimated 37,300 to 43,000 already affected, ” the research team, led by Rachel Kidman, of Stony Brook University, wrote .
“Black children are disproportionately affected, making up only 14% of children in the United States but 20% of those who lose a parent to Covid-19,” the researchers added.
‘Staggering’ number of children (file image) in US have lost at least one parent to COVID-19, new model estimated
According to the researchers, the model suggests that each death from COVID-19 leaves 0.078 children aged 0 to 17 without at least one parent.
According to the researchers, the model suggests that each death from COVID-19 leaves 0.078 children aged 0 to 17 without at least one parent.
This number represents a 17.5% to 20.2% increase in parental grief due to the virus.
“As of February 2021, 37,300 children aged 0 to 17 had lost at least one parent to COVID-19, three-quarters of which were adolescents,” the research indicates.
“Of these, 20,600 were non-Hispanic white children and 7,600 were non-Hispanic black children. When we rely on excess mortality, it is estimated that 43,000 children have lost a parent ”.
The researchers also noted that “a natural herd immunity strategy that results in 1.5 million deaths demonstrates the potential effect of inaction: 116,900 children bereaved by parents.”
By comparison, the attacks of September 11, 2001 left 3,000 children without parents.
“Radical national reforms are needed to address the health, educational and economic fallout that affects children,” the research authors wrote.
“Children bereaved by their parents will also need targeted support to help them overcome their grief, especially during this time of heightened social isolation.
“Setting up a national child bereavement cohort could identify children who have lost their parents, monitor them for early identification of emerging challenges.
The researchers noted that the estimates are based on demographic modeling, not survey or administrative data, and do not include the bereavement of non-parental caregivers.
Meanwhile, Dr Cyrus Shahpar, COVID-19 data director for the White House COVID, said on Twitter that the United States has administered more than 4.6 million doses of the vaccine.
“Amazing Saturday! + 4.63 M doses administered out of the total yesterday, a new record! More than 500 km more than the old record of last Saturday. An incredible number of doses administered, ”Shahpar wrote.
As infections rise, death toll drops thanks to increased vaccination of ‘vulnerable’ populations, health officials say
And while this is good news, the United States still has a worrying number of hospitalizations among young people and an increase in COVID-19 cases.
Speaking at a White House COVID-19 briefing on Friday, CDC Director Dr Rochelle Walensky said: “ On the one hand, we have so much reason to be optimistic and hopeful, and more and more Americans are being vaccinated.
“On the other hand, cases and emergency room visits are on the rise,” she added, pointing to young adults who have not been vaccinated.
According to Walensky, young people between the ages of 18 and 64 have seen an increasing number of hospital visits, noting that the upper Midwest is seeing these trends “amplified.”
“The CDC is working closely with public health officials in this region to understand what is driving these cases and how we can intervene,” she said.
Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech SE on Friday asked U.S. regulators to allow emergency use of their vaccine in adolescents aged 12 to 15.
The vaccine is currently cleared for emergency use in the United States for people 16 years of age and older. The companies said on Friday they had requested an extension of the US Food and Drug Administration’s authorization to include the younger age group.
In March, drugmakers said the vaccine was found to be safe, effective, and produced robust antibody responses in children 12 to 15 years old in a clinical trial.
It is not known how long the regulator will take to review the data from the trial, although Walensky said on Thursday that she expects the vaccine to be licensed for 12 to 15 years by mid- may.
Vaccinating children and young people is seen as a crucial step in achieving collective immunity and taming the pandemic, according to many experts.
Officials last week warned that nearly half of new U.S. coronavirus infections came from five states: New York, New Jersey, Michigan, Florida and Pennsylvania.
In particular, Michigan health officials expressed concern on Wednesday over the increase in coronavirus cases despite an intensified vaccination campaign.
Joneigh Khaldun, the state’s medical director, warned on Twitter of a “ significant increase ” in cases.
“Our hospitalizations are also increasing. The Michiganders must double down and take the necessary steps to help stop the spread of this virus, ” she said.
Michigan has more COVID infections per population than any other state in the United States and some experts have attributed the rise in spring break.
Meanwhile, Dr Cyrus Shahpar, COVID-19 data director for the White House COVID, said on Twitter that the United States has administered more than 4.6 million doses of the vaccine. People are seen wearing masks in New York on Saturday
“We have CDC teams on the ground working to assess outbreaks in prison facilities,” Walensky said. “We are working to facilitate the increase in testing that takes place on the field in the context of youth sports.
Walensky said the CDC is also looking to “ understand what’s going on ” with the COVID-19 variants.
The number of new cases has started to rise again in the United States and there have been about 63,000 new cases per day on average over the past week.
As infections increase, the number of deaths is decreasing thanks to the increase in immunization of “ vulnerable ” populations, Walensky said.
Health officials also said last week that the highly contagious variant of COVID-19 first discovered in the UK has become the most common strain of the virus in the United States.
The strain, known as B.1.1.7, was identified in Britain last fall and has since been detected in 52 jurisdictions in the United States, Walensky said.
U.S. public health officials have urged Americans to get vaccinated as soon as possible, in part to prevent the spread of new variants of the novel coronavirus.
The United States has also detected cases of a variant first discovered in South Africa that is believed to be resistant to certain COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. This strain has been found in 36 US jurisdictions, according to federal data.
The vaccine supply has increased dramatically in the United States in recent weeks as Johnson & Johnson began manufacturing millions of doses of its recently licensed vaccines.
Pfizer / BioNTech and Moderna have also recently increased their vaccine production capacity.
President Joe Biden doubled his target for shots administered in his first 100 days from 100 million to 200 million and urged states to start hitting all adults by mid-April.
Walensky said the CDC has identified a number of COVID-19 outbreaks linked to youth sporting events and that communities with high numbers of cases should avoid hosting such events. Testing is also expected to take place twice a week, she said.
White House COVID-19 adviser Andy Slavitt also told reporters that the US government is expanding its community health center program, which it has put in place in recent weeks to help get vaccines in communities. underserved.