As a result of the Asian mass media continuing to present COVID as a dreadful condition, Asian Americans have been overwhelmed with messages to avoid COVID infection and less about how to live with a SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis. The images delivered through the internet, instant messaging, and social media from friends and families in Asia greatly influence Asian Americans in the United States. These Asian Americans, regardless of their acculturation levels, are very concerned about disclosing any flu-like symptoms to their Asian American networks in the United States, as their friends and family might suspect that they have COVID-19. During social gatherings, for example, these individuals are likely to say that they have cold, influenza or allergy symptoms instead of COVID. In addition, because of potential discrimination from their close-knit community, they may not seek COVID-19 testing. The situation becomes one of “don't ask, don't tell” and ends up potentially leading to the further spread of COVID-19 in such gatherings.
Some Asian Americans choose to disclose their COVID-19 diagnosis to the people they have been recently been in contact with and advise them to get tested, as the U.S. CDC advises. Even after completing quarantine for 5-10 days per current CDC policy, they may experience more community discrimination than those who do not know their COVID-19 status, or do not disclose their COVID-19 diagnosis to their social network. Asian Americans with COVID-19 are asked to stay away from church or temple worship services even after they clear the virus and/or after the required quarantine period. For example, some Asian-American churches have formed a “caring team” to make sure all known church-goers whom have received a COVID-19 diagnosis do not mix with other members, so as to prevent further spread of the disease. Even after several months after a COVID-19 diagnosis, members of these churches are still checking whether the recovered members show up to services. If they do show up, they will be asked to leave and participate in the worship from Zoom or via live streaming. In smaller gatherings, when a child who has recovered from COVID is taken to private lessons within their community, parents need to request approval from the instructor's family to attend the classes and masks will be donned upon the child's arrival.
Taken together, these subtle microaggressions within Asian American communities negatively impact COVID-19 prevention, testing, treatment, disclosure and mental health. Since global COVID-19 policies impact the local practices in the United States, health departments in Asian American communities should focus on implementing updated regulations to combat COVID-19 but also educate Asian Americans that the chances of surviving a SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis have improved with both vaccination and the use of medications to treat it. Education campaigns targeting Asian American communities about the care of COVID-19 individuals is essential. In addition, healthcare providers and outreach workers should promote the normalcy of COVID-19 infections as the pandemic becomes endemic in the U.S.
Credit Author StatementThis collaboration, Wei-Ti Chen is the correspondence author of this study, responsible for conceptualization, and manuscript writing.
Franco Lee and Poy Yamada are responsible for providing the content accuracy and manuscript validation.
All authors have reviewed the submitted manuscript and approve the manuscript for submission.
Uncited ReferencesAcknowledgementThis publication resulted (in part) from research supported by NIMHD under award number [R03MD011210; PI: Chen, Wei-Ti] and under Award Numbers NIMH [P30MH058107; PI: Shoptaw, Steven J.]. The contents of this article are solely the views of the authors and do not represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
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Curr Psychol. : 1-9https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-02874-wArticle InfoPublication HistoryAccepted: May 27, 2022
Received in revised form: May 6, 2022
Received: March 24, 2022
Publication stageIn Press Journal Pre-ProofFootnotesConflict of Interest Statement-None
IdentificationDOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2022.05.016
Copyright© 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc.
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