Call to be honest about Covid-19 status
THE Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA (Denosa) has appealed to members of the public to inform health-care workers about possible Covid-19 symptoms during screenings to prevent the further spread of the virus.
The organisation’s Mandla Shabangu said some members of the public who went to medical facilities for treatment denied having Covid-19 symptoms.
“Once you establish that the person presented with no symptoms during history taking, the person would be allocated to a ward with people who have no signs, only to later find out that that person has Covid-19,” said Shabangu.
Shabangu said nurses could not be blamed because it was the responsibility of patients to provide truthful information. Recent reports have indicated that the stigma associated with Covid-19 has caused those infected with the virus to be victimised by loved ones, significant others, neighbours and strangers.
Dr Jacques Jordaan, lecturer and programme director of the Psychology Programme at the University of the Free State, said those with Covid-19 had become part of a new stigmatised group that were labelled, stereotyped, victimised and discriminated against.
Jordaan said stigmatisation was mostly an automatic reaction that occurred due to the automatic attitudes that people held about certain topics and groups of people.
“The disadvantage of Covid-19 stigma is that it will lead to those infected being fearful for their lives, hiding their symptoms, and it keeps them from seeking help,” he said.
People steered clear of stigmatised individuals as they feared that they would also be rejected and victimised by others. “People stay away from and avoid those who have Covid19, gossip about them, threaten them with violence, and do not offer any help to them. This can lead to mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety and loneliness among those with Covid-19.”
Jordaan said stigma was real and could be reduced by extra education for people to obtain a better understanding of the disease. |