Defilading COVID-19: Psychological Factors Associated

Abstract

During disease outbreaks, people are often labelled, stereotyped, discriminated against, treated separately, and/or experience loss of status because of a perceived link with a disease. Ever since the situation surfaced, various media reports have shown that COVID-19 Patients are hiding their symptoms from doctors due to the fear that doctors may refuse to treat. They are defilading their history even from family/ neighbours with perceived fear of being socially isolated and also not getting access to healthcare facilities for being a source of transmission, with several reports now emerging, especially in developing countries, that people suspected of coronavirus infection are fleeing from quarantine facilities owing to isolation and the spread of the deadly disease furthermore. Disseminating positive scientific knowledge through media and social media can help improve the situation. Mental health being a taboo itself now should be addressed as an essential health condition to be dealt with by trained healthcare professionals.

Keywords: COVID-19, Defilading history, Psychosocial

JEL Classification: I,12