Although Filipinos represent 4 percent of the U.S. nurse population, about one-third of U.S. nurses who died as a result of COVID-19 were Filipino, according to a report by the National Nurses United, a major nurses’ union in the U.S. (National Nurses United, 2020).
The devastating trend of Filipino nurses serving as the direct caretakers of COVID-19 victims while succumbing to the virus marks one of the public health system’s greatest failures. This can be attributed to the over-representation of Filipino nurses in high-risk roles such as emergency medicine and the intensive care unit, which purposely positions them in direct contact with COVID-19.
In order to address and rectify health disparities among Filipino nurses, the U.S. government must develop data collection and reporting systems that disaggregate data on Asian health to reveal disparities among marginalized ethnic groups such as Filipino nurses. The U.S. government should also be accountable for providing material support for Filipino nurses, such as financial assistance, the ability to take time off work, and the opportunity to shelter from home so that they have access to the necessary protective factors against COVID-19.
