About 1 in 515 children in U.S. has lost a caregiver because of COVID-19, study estimates

Deaths associated with COVID-19 have deprived more than 140,000 American children of a caregiver, and children of color have been disproportionately affected, according to a new estimate published Thursday by a team of international researchers, including members of CDC's COVID Response. 

The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, estimated that 142,637 children lost a primary or secondary caregiver, with the highest loss of primary caregivers in California, Texas and New York. Adjusted for child population size, Arizona, New Mexico and the District of Columbia were among the hardest hit. 

Overall, the study found that one out of every 515 children has lost a caregiver.