An Overview of COVID-19 Stigma: India’s perspective “Pain of rejection is more severe than infection”

Abstract

Stigma and disease have an ancient relation. Since disease is being considered as the curse of God and patients of contagious diseases is considered as disease spreader facing the social rejection. Wreak havoc of COVID-19 across the globe has desolated the mindset of common man, fear, anxiety and ignorance of community fuelling the social discrimination. The patient can recover the physical wound or diseases but stigma strikes the soul of victim that debilitates the will for survival. Stigma does not only affect the patients only but also the front line warriors excruciating the global emergency. Psychological distress mitigation is still missing in COVID-19 coping strategies. This article is intended to provide an overview of social-stigmatization faced by different sets of population as well as to draw attention over mental health component assimilation in therapeutic measures of COVID-19. To ensure the physical, mental and social wellbeing of the individual and society as whole.