The Shadow Pandemic: Covid Creates Population of Orphaned Children

'The CDC released a study that finds that over 140,000 children lost one or both of their parents or caregivers to Covid through the end of June. Given the impact of the Delta variant, estimates now hover at 175,000. More than half the children who lost a primary caregiver during the pandemic are Black and Hispanic, which make up about 40% of the U.S. population, according to a study published by the medical journal Pediatrics. In the meantime, support for these children is scarce and services limited. These Covid orphans are at risk financially, academically, and emotionally during what is now known as the "shadow pandemic." JoNel Aleccia, senior correspondent at Kaiser Health News, joins The Takeaway to discuss the impact of Covid on our children and the need for more support.'