COVID-19 leaves behind at least 238,500 orphans in U.S.: CNN

NEW YORK, March 27 (Xinhua) -- There are at least 238,500 COVID-19 orphans in the United States whose lives have been upended in the past three years by the loss of a parent or primary caregiver, according to the Imperial College London COVID-19 Orphanhood Calculator.

Globally, there have been more than eight million COVID orphans since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic in March 2020, CNN reported on Sunday.

Orphanhood increases the likelihood of poverty, abuse, delayed development, mental health challenges and reduced access to education, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

California is one of six U.S. states that accounts for half of national caregiver loss. New York is another state and has become the second in the nation to introduce legislation that would fund scholarships for children who lost a parent or caregiver to COVID-19.

Each qualifying student would be eligible for a scholarship that covers the equivalent cost of SUNY tuition, plus room and board, books as well as supplies, according to the report.