At least 5.2 million kids worldwide have lost a parent, grandparent or family member, who took care of them, to COVID-19, revealed a new study.

The study analyzed COVID-19 mortality data from 21 countries from the time when the pandemic began in March 2020 through October 2021. It estimated the number of children who lost a parent or caregiver and noted that the number of children affected increased by 90% from the end of April 2020 to the end of October 2021.

Among the children who lost parents, three out of four lost their fathers. Preteens and teens had the highest odds of being orphaned, with two out of three children losing a parent being an adolescent.

The study is published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health… (CNN, February 25, 2022)