Destigmatising the Coronavirus

Reducing fears and correctly communicating details and facts about the pandemic, is key to win this battle, says Prakriti Poddar, expert in Mental Health and Managing Trustee of the Poddar Foundation

- Prakriti Poddar

Public health emergencies such as the ongoing pandemic, are nightmares for administrators, and stressful times for people and communities, as fear and anxiety about the disease can make them biased and hurtful towards their fellow citizens, places, or things. We have several examples of such outbursts since the pandemic started tightening its grip on India – doctors and healthcare workers were evicted, threatened and attacked, religious communities were labelled as ‘spreaders’ of the virus, and memes were shared on social media, urging people to stop using Chinese goods. Coupled with restrictive measures of quarantine, isolation, and lockdown, the extreme feeling towards the disease has only increased. While it is very important to provide curative and preventive treatment of the disease, the administrators must take note that continuous stigmatisation of COVID-19 can cause substantial hindrance to both, providing treatment and containing the spread deeper in the communities.

Fear is a bigger adversary than the disease