Mitigating Asian American Bias and Xenophobia in Response to the Coronavirus Pandemic: How You Can Be an Upstander

Abstract

Imagine finishing a long shift in the operating room performing aerosolizing procedures on high-risk patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). You are walking home, and the next thing you know, a stranger confronts you on the sidewalk shouting, “Why are you Chinese people killing everyone? What is wrong with you? Why the [expletive] are you killing us?” This is exactly what happened to an Asian American anesthesia resident in Boston recently. These incidents are unfortunately becoming more frequent and should not go unnoticed nor without a safe and appropriate response.