Fewer persons revealing COVID symptoms

Fear of social isolation forcing many to hide their illness

Inspite of the efforts by the authorities, considerably fewer number of people with symptoms of COVID-19 are coming forward to get treatment being provided by the government, due to fear of social stigma and ostracism. For instance, 30-year-old Irfan (name changed), living in an apartment in the district headquarters, had mild fever for the past four days. He approached a doctor and took the prescribed medicine, unfortunately the fever did not subside. Worse, he recently developed breathing problems and not knowing what to do he sought the advice of one of his neighbours in the apartment complex. The neighbours, who got alerted to his condition, immediately directed him to a doctor who has been extending treatment for COVID-19 patients who are in home isolation. In another case, a house owner who was in home isolation for COVID-19 and did not appear in public for a week, did not reveal his illness even to his neighbours or others fearing ostracism. Other residents of the complex got alerted to the presence of a COVID-19 positive patient following the secretive behaviour of other members of the family of the patient.