COVID-19

Article for COVID – Stop the Stigma!’

-Ayushmaan Datta

EID : A2000419008

 

Corona virus stigma must stop now! We are all in this together!

The degree of social stigma associated with COVID 19 is high because it is new. Till 3 months ago, no one had even heard of COVID 19. The outbreak of corona virus has provoked social stigma and discriminatory behavior towards anyone who is perceived to have been in contact with the virus.

The WHO introduced guidelines to stop this practice and thereby reduce the stigma and negative impacts such as fear or anger directed towards those regions or people. The guidelines underscored the fact that all humans are at risk of the virus – when an outbreak happens everyone is at risk regardless of who they are or where they are from.

Stigma creates barriers. There are widespread instances of stigma and discrimination against medical personnel – doctors and health care workers. Those working in aviation, especially on flights that were sent to bring Indians back from COVID-19 affected foreign land also faced the same fate. This stigma is unfolding; not amongst strangers, but among people they know, within housing societies and communities. The stigma associated with COVID-19 is real and here to stay. Instead of sympathizing with the patients and their family, we have created an environment of fear and panic which is not justified.

Stigma has a direct impact on seeking tests and care early. It also impacts attitudes towards helping others especially those in our immediate environment. As stigma grows, those affected become fearful to seek out testing, or care, and fear from revealing their symptoms. They are terrified of others within their communities finding out about even the possibility of disease. This leads to increased suffering and transmission. The stigma is causing many patients who have Covid 19 or flu-like symptoms to not come to the healthcare facilities. The patients don’t come forward which leads to higher mortality due to delay in treatment. People who test positive become scared of seeking help or even in discussing their symptoms thus putting themselves at risk and also increasing the rate of disease transmission. We need to arm ourselves with facts about the disease and how should we care for it medically, physically and emotionally.

India now has to wage a war against COVID-19 related stigma. Understanding the roots of disease-related stigma is critical here. Throughout history the fear of the unknown and unfamiliar has been used to justify the exclusion of those with medical conditions which has no cure. Disease-related stigma appears when an uncontrollable or uncertain condition exists – such as an infectious, unexplained and potentially incurable disease. Coronavirus checks out all the boxes. People stigmatize because they feel that stigmatizing and excluding someone will somehow reduce risk. It perpetuates an attitude which somehow creates a false sense of distance or empowerment in the face of uncertainty. We need to move away from the language of fear and paranoia to one of empathy. We need to highlight stories of resilience and of recovery. It is unethical on the part of the media to demonize certain communities and ethnicities. In the long term, stigma also has a dramatic effect on the issue of such as employment, housing and medical care.

There is an urgent need to discourage stigmatizing language used during a pandemic as it can be debilitating. We need to debunk myths & break down stereotypes. The success stories need to be highlighted to lessen the paranoia and feeling of impending doom. If we do not manage it in time, the stigma, not the virus alone, could be our greatest foe. It is imperative to make the public realise that many people will recover from this virus and seeking care at the soonest is critical. It is high time we address our prejudices!