This isn’t the typical interpretation of stigma in this era. But there is a subtle and unspoken stigma people feel against becoming infected with Covid. The result is that people walk around sick and in denial until it is undeniable. It’s a reoccurring trope in comedies, and we laugh it off—”sure, maybe them, but I’d never”—yet it’s very real.
The people I’ve seen coughing or sneezing since 2020 have nearly all been convinced, for various reason, that it was certainly not Covid. Have you seen the same? I’ve had a good friend admit he lost his taste but still declare he knew, without testing, it wasn’t Covid. I’ve seen the single fiercest of Covid safety advocate I know stroll into class, sneezing, snuffling, and hacking coughs until the whole of the rest of the students had packed up, mid-class, and moved to the other side. She very genuinely refused to consider that she had Covid.
Everyone does it, maybe not to this degree. But symptoms develop slowly, and we have to make a proactive decision at some point to make our day and our week a whole lot worse. The best (and only subconsciously selfish) strategy is to remain confident it’s nothing and that it will subside. In many mild cases, that’s exactly what happens.
To counteract this, we need to build a culture of calm around Covid. We need to destigmatize it and gently encourage people to be honest. The only social pressure we should foster should be ‘Do not walk around sick.’ We have not placed much of our limited social capital to realizing this, so for the time being the beast still walks among us.
This is an interesting post Alex. I agree that we need to make sure people do not feel stigmatized for taking proactive measures and staying home when sick. Becoming sick from COVID is not a reflection on the person who got it. Rather, the better reflection of a person’s character is how they act once they experience symptoms. I think it is hard for people to be “calm” about COVID when it has caused so much harm, but at the least our society should encourage compassion and responsible behavior for those who get sick.
I find it very interesting how you pointed out what makes this type of stigma unique. You are correct – rather than being an overt ideology against people who become infected, the stigma comes largely from the symptomatic individuals themselves. It is notable to mention this reflexive nature of the stigma, as well as the fluidity of the stigma. People often move from a state of fear about catching COVID from someone else, being the person in denial of infection, within months. Over the past two years of the pandemic, we have seen the stigma begin to decrease. I agree that full elimination of the stigma is critical.
Alex—what a very relatable post! Several of my extended family members claimed they did not have COVID-19, even though they never tested. I will say, in all transparency, that the story I shared is from a time when there was a minimal supply of COVID-19 tests, and it was difficult to test. Nevertheless, it still baffles me how some said with confidence that they did not have COVID-19 despite having many hallmark COVID-19 symptoms and not testing. You raise excellent points regarding stigma; however, the fear of contracting COVID-19, especially if one is immunocompromised, is quite immense. However, I agree that extending more compassion for those suffering from COVID-19 is required if we want to further minimize the coronavirus spread.
Hi Alex – I enjoyed your post! I actually just got back from a flight from California, and there was a person a seat in front of me with a very bad cough, sniffles, and sneezes for the duration of the flight. I’d overheard her say to the people seated beside her not to worry because it wasn’t COVID, but she didn’t have a mask on. I feel like I’ve noticed it a lot more since the pandemic how often people go about with their daily lives when they’re sick as if they are not. While many people don’t have the option to stay home when they’re sick, it’s interesting that many will publicly be sick with no mask or will sneeze into their hands or what have you. I feel like we have stigmatized COVID so much that people have almost forgotten that other viruses are also contagious. I hope we can focus on overall preventative behaviors for viruses, and that if you are sick with anything, not just COVID, you should stay home for the sake of yourself and those around you.
Nice job starting a ROBUST conversation Alex.