Covid-19 Stigma: What You Can Do to Reduce It
Smartcitizen, the COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) outbreak has caused fear and anxiety in some people and communities in Jakarta. Fear is indeed a common and normal feeling in humans. It can even help us to stay alert amid these challenging times. Unfortunately, the mainly unknown nature of the new disease can also lead to social stigma towards people or places that are deemed to have a relation with the virus.
Social stigma is felt not only by the COVID-19 patients but also by medical workers, including those currently working tirelessly at the frontline of the battle. Those who are not necessarily infected but show symptoms similar to COVID-19 also sometimes get unpleasant treatment. Stigma can be in the form of social rejection to physical violence. If this problem not addressed, social stigma can be dangerous and drive people to:
Hide the illness to avoid discrimination
Avoid treatment or seek medical assistance
Feeling discouraged in adopting a healthy lifestyle
Those who feel they have symptoms but ultimately refuse to go to a medical facility for fear of stigma, can certainly increase the risk of transmission and accelerate the rate of spread of the virus. Therefore it would be better if we help those who are stigmatized by doing the following things.
Spread the Facts
Social stigma can be exacerbated by a string of misinformation or hoaxes about the transmission or treatment of COVID-19 disease. You can prevent this by helping spread the facts that are obtained from reliable information sources, such as:
Not associating the virus with a particular ethnicity or location. The official name of the disease is not the "Wuhan virus" or the "Chinese virus" but COVID-19. "CO" is short for Corona, "VI" for the virus, the letter "D" stands for disease, and 19 because it first emerged in 2019.
Referring to people infected with the coronavirus as "patients" and not "victims" of the spread of COVID-19
Share accurate information about the risk of COVID-19 based on scientific research and official releases from government and world health agencies.
[Avoid false news, check JalaHoaks]
Collaborate
In the midst of the difficulties caused by COVID-19, the pandemic also taught us to uphold the spirit of cooperation. So instead of being absorbed in anxiety, you should collaborate. The Government of Jakarta has established the Corona Responsive Collaboration program through the Jakarta Development Collaboration Network (JDCN). In addition to being a place to receive donations such as food and medical equipment, there you can also register to become a volunteer and help the government's efforts in breaking the chain of the spread of the pandemic.
[JDCN: creating a collaborative city]
Morale Support
Smartcitizen, if you know people or families affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, help them by providing the support that could improve their morale. You can do this by sending positive and encouraging messages, especially when they are in self-isolation or treatment. Tell stories about the experience of someone who has recovered from COVID-19 to emphasize that most people do recover from the disease.
Hero Campaign
The Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB) implemented by the Government of Jakarta also include a temporary suspension of activities at offices. But did you know that there are 11 sectors still operating to support Jakarta? Yes, those who are works sectors such as health, energy, daily necessities, communication, and basic services, are still working outside so that you can continue to stay at home. We can help appreciate their hard work by creating a “hero campaign” so that they can avoid social stigma.
Stigma not only hurts a person's feelings but can also be a threat to public health. So, let us unite and together we combat social stigma to accelerate the realization of a corona-free city of Jakarta.
Authors and Editor
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