Corona and stigma

Though Covid-19 has affected the entire human race, what is most interesting is that it does not discriminate against people as human beings themselves do. Anyone can contract the virus regardless of race, language, religion, gender, age, economic status, or any other personal quality. Despite that however, there have been a lot of news saying communities and individuals have not only stigmatised a person who tested positive, but also ostracized families whose members have contracted the virus. There is evidence that stigma due to coronavirus leads to several problems like (a) reduction in the number of people seeking medical care or testing, and (b) reduction in the number of people adhering to interventions including self-isolation. This in turn can lead to cases not being reported, and the virus silently spreading its tentacles. Such incidents are also occurring in Assam, and particularly in Guwahati. This newspaper on Sunday reported that even though the Covid-positive patients in Assam have been showing resilience, thus resulting in their fast recovery from the dangerous virus, many of them are actually facing social discrimination after reaching home from the hospital. Such incidents are reportedly occurring particularly in apartment buildings in Guwahati where other residents are showing reluctance to welcome recovered patients. Some reports also say that some flat owners are asking recovered patients to find out alternative arrangements for their accommodation. Many health workers are also facing such ordeals with landlords asking them to vacate their premises. In many apartment buildings, residents have even allegedly refused to help home-quarantined families collect food items and other essential items. Apartment buildings being occupied only by educated and well-off people, it is unfortunate that such social discrimination, stigmatisation and ostracization have been coming from a section of educated citizens. There have been also incidents of residents of apartment buildings allegedly trying to evict families where one member has tested positive. This is blatant display of the most inhuman and uncivilized character of so-called educated people. Stigma and social discrimination can not only make people feel isolated and abandoned, but also hurt them so much that they can be pushed into a state of depression. What people forget to realise is that the virus can attack them too, in which case they will have to face similar situations another day.