Citation

Social Stigma associated with COVID-19

Author:
World Health Organization,
Year:
2020

Social stigma in the context of health is the negative association between a personor group of people who share certain characteristics and a specific disease. In anoutbreak, this may mean people are labelled, stereotyped, discriminated against,treated separately, and/or experience loss of status because of a perceived linkwith a disease. Such treatment can negatively affect those with the disease, as well as theircaregivers, family, friends and communities. People who don’t have the disease butshare other characteristics with this group may also suffer from stigma.The current COVID-19 outbreak has provoked social stigma and discriminatorybehaviours against people of certain ethnic backgrounds as well as anyoneperceived to have been in contact with the virus