Even after 2 lakh+ cases and 1.9 lakh recoveries in our country, people are stigmatizing COVID patients and ill-treating them. As the numbers mount, most tried to get their fear out by labelling, stereotyping and discriminating against the COVID patients. Even the patients’ family members weren’t spared and traumatized and picked on by the same people they had known for decades together.
Hiren, a 23-year-old engineering student was diagnosed with COVID. He was quarantined in the hospital in Kolhapur. While he was in quarantine, his father and mother were treated miserably and ousted by their own neighbours--all belonging to a high-end, well-educated society, even though both the parents tested negative for the virus.
His father said, “Everyone was concerned where my son had been. Why was he in the hospital? Did he go to an airport? Does he have a foreigner as a friend? You should’ve not allowed him to go out so much. Why is he so irresponsible? Everyone just assumed that my son was irresponsible and had got COVID through fun and masti. They were more bothered about from where he had got the infection and where he had been after the infection than his health. Now, I’ve stopped answering such questions because they seem more in the tone of blaming than concern.
Last week another person a little older to Hiren’s was detected positive. This aggravated the whole situation even more. My neighbours started spreading rumours on the society WhatsApp group saying my son had passed the infection further and it was me and my wife who were responsible for the further spread. We started feeling conscious, ashamed and even guilty amidst our friends and neighbours because of a perceived link of the disease through my boy. We are already worried about our boy and this additional burden of neighbours’ judgements and biases is making it even more difficult for us and is mentally disturbing”
Further, when the news of Hiren went viral we started receiving unfriendly stares from outsiders as well--the milkman, the grocery delivery boy--every one stared at us as untouchables. After a point, most of the families from the society compelled me to go back home as many insensitive citizens hurled abuses at us. It was very traumatic for us and we finally decided to lock ourselves in our house until the things were a bit quieter,” says Ranabir Bhattacharya, Hiren’s father.
It is thus, important to get over this stigma by doing your part of spreading the right information and a little positivity.
- Know that misconceptions, rumours and misinformation contribute to stigma and discrimination. Rather try and inculcate empathy and acknowledge that other’s feelings and their concerns are real.
- Share sympathetic narratives and stories to humanize the experiences and struggles of individuals as it will help to create communication support.
- Understand that the rumours, ostracization will not stop the virus but will creae disharmony and spread negativity in the society.