Nearly a century ago,the 1918 influenza pandemic was regarded as the most severe pandemic in recent history.1 The virus,known as H1N1,infected 500 million persons worldwide and claimed an estimated 50 million lives.The pandemic lasted nearly 2 years with sporadic activity characterized by 3 waves of occurrence.Nearly 100 years later,in January 2020,we found ourselves in the midst of another global pandemic,the novel coronavirus(coronavirus disease-2019,COVID-19).2 Within 5 months of outbreak,COVID-19 has infected over 6 million persons worldwide with over 380,000 confirmed deaths.3 While nearly every region of the world has experienced the virus,European and North and South American countries are among the most impacted countries with the greatest burden of COVID-19 in terms of the incidence and mortality.4 Among the most vulnerable populations,older adults and persons with serious underlying medical conditions or compromised immune systems are at greatest risk of contracting COVID-19.5 In addition,people living in densely populated areas or rural areas with poor access to health care,living in congregate housing and multi-generational households,and those who work in the service industry also have a high risk for contracting COVID-19.6 This includes many racial and ethnic minorities,immigrants,and refugees.
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