“I’m not covid positive it’s just mild fever”

What is social stigma?

A social stigma is a discriminatory act against certain traits of an individual, group of people, nation, or larger community. In other words, it is a fine line between what is normal and acceptable to what is not normal and unacceptable. The STIGMATIZED ones often face being stereotyped, labeled, disapproved, treated distinctly, and lost of privilege in a definite and discriminated way.

Social stigma is usually associated with certain gender, culture, race, and illness. From prehistoric times, it has been associated with various illnesses and plagues like leprosy, cholera, bubonic plague, HIV, and many others.

Covid and social discrimination

Covid-19 is a recent outbreak that spreads across the globe with the rapid transmission. Though the technological advancements of the new era, the latest treatment protocols, and breakthroughs in genetic coding and medicine have not been completely successful yet in getting rid of the pandemic. Covid-19 is the last decade’s infectious disease that is discriminatingly dealt with to date and with the considerable social stigma attached.

Being brought to existence in the medical laboratory of Wuhan, China, spreading at an unbelievably rapid pace, frequent lockdowns, fear of getting infected, the large number of deaths, and uncertainty have caused extensively widespread anxiety, consequently breeding social stigma.

European print media has corresponded covid to witch-hunt, blazing 5-G towers especially in the Netherlands to angry mobs in streets with burning torches and year 2020 to 1613 causing mass hysteria.

The high levels of social stigma are present for several reasons now when we are caught helplessly in the hands of the pandemic. Firstly, because it is a newly identifiable disease with a large number of deaths and medical technology is unclear to fight off the disease. Secondly, the etiology of the virus is comparatively unknown, and clinical manifestations varying with each wave trigger uncertainty, fear of the unknown, anxiety, and confusion. A massive dilemma, with no fully effective vaccine or medication regimen, further produced blaming, scapegoating, fear to distance from the ill to extensive levels, associating stereotypes, and fostering discrimination and stigmatization. Thus, it does seem like mass hysteria.

Which social groups are at risk of being stigmatized?

In the current scenario, SARS-CoV-2 as the fear of the unknown has bred social stigmatization, acts of extremism, and racist attacks. Worldwide media has reported that healthcare workers had been assaulted, faced violence in some form, was falsely accused and stigmatized, and discriminated against. The Chinese community is on top of the list for being discriminated against and victim of racial attacks during the corona pandemic. Patients who are diagnosed covid positive are also facing the same problem. Even their immediate family members, house members, and caretakers are also a victim of stigmatization.

The ambiguity has made covid patients deny their condition. Many patients might not admit their illness and claim mild fever or seasonal cough and flu.

“I am not covid positive, it’s just mild fever.”

"Please, don't tell anyone"

"You must have heard wrong, it's just a seasonal cough"

People traveling in airplanes are also seen as the ones carrying the virus with them. They might bear discriminated attitudes and making them stay in quarantine is an essential policy by many countries.

The Impact of Stigmatization

    1. Impact on individual

This category includes patients, healthcare workers, immediate family members of the patient, and patients that have recovered. Societal attitudes of dislike and disapproval may make them shun social life. These individuals documented that they have been treated as untouchable, name-calling, and given insulting remarks, taunts, and pointed fingers (Bhanot, 2021).  

    2. Cultural impact

the place responsible for originating the disease is observed as the culprit of the outbreak. As soon as people learn and understand the root location of a disease that is viral and epidemic in nature they distance themselves and adopt more passive behavior. Research has revealed that fear of unknown infections causes significant changes in behavior for instance panic, aggression, illogical beliefs, and blaming

    3. Impact on the nation

A country that is a victim of a pandemic like covid with an abundance of stigmatization is certainly at risk. Such a country whose citizens are helpless in face of the epidemic, health care workers are assaulted for treating patients of the outbreak, and patients and their families are dealt with disapproval can seriously damage the economy, defense, health, education, and other sectors. Any country in vulnerable circumstances is an easy hunt for other powerful countries to get a hold of them. 

Difficulty in disease management

The disapproval and negativity associated with infectious diseases like corona have a bleak history in the past. The outbreaks and pandemics have been receiving prejudice and stigma that hampers the scientific research on disease development, its diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.  For the very reason of illogical and disapproved attitude to people associated with the infection directly and indirectly.

How to reduce covid-19 stigma?

  • Everyone of us must rely on authentic sources for corona updates, don’t listen to rumors and stories circulating around.
  • Speak up against any confirmed rumor about the pandemic or if you see anyone facing stigmatization for covid
  • Contacting and helping people who are facing the disease or who need potential help to fight against the disease.
  • Use of social media and other communication means to develop awareness rather than showing stereotypes.
  • Respect and ensure the privacy of vulnerable people and groups so save other people around us from developing stigmatized attitudes.
  • Ensure jobs and livelihood means for people living with covid and engage with affected communities to help opt for new ways of protection and survival.
  • Show support and encouragement for those who are on the frontline to help us fight against the disease.
  • Show support and respect for those who are performing their duties in serious pandemic times whilst lockdowns such as police officers, healthcare workers, grocery stores, bus drivers, and others.
  • Helping people who are stigmatized by virtual resources to overcome complex situations.
Conclusion
We are all affected by the pandemic as a global community. Nobody can escape the deadly effects of covid and neither we should try to. Stigmatizing a family member, a coworker, a neighbor, or any country will not help. I see it as just a common defense mechanism of Scapegoating, by blaming each other the problem will not go away.
Researchers and health experts are looking for new strategies to tackle the pandemic, even though it emerged spontaneously on a worldwide scale. We are unsure if we will be able to get rid of it sooner or later. However, finding measures to protect ourselves from being infected and helping out those in the misery is the right approach to deal with it as human beings for sake of humanity. 


References

Manfredi, P, D’Onofrio, A Modeling the interplay between human behavior and the spread of infectious diseases. Berlin: Springer Science & Business Media, 2013 Jan 4.
Google Scholar | Crossref

Bhanot D, Singh T, Verma, S. K., Sharad, S., (2021), Stigma and Discrimination during Covid-19 Pandemic, Front. Public Health, 12 January 2021 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.577018