COVID-19 and the State of Health of Pacific Islanders in the U.S.
Abstract
In the United States, Pacific Islanders are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 at alarming rates. Prior to the pandemic, the population was experiencing some of the largest health disparities in the United States driven, in part, by a lack of access to economic resources and health care. Historical events provide a context to understanding the current socioeconomic indicators that predispose Pacific Islanders to COVID-19 and provides insight into the circumstances that have led to the effective transmission of COVID-19 in this community. Other Pacific populations demonstrate more optimal control of COVID-19 and may provide models that have the potential to improve the devastatingly dis proportional rates of infection and death in this vulnerable community.