OPINION | Needless stigma and fear become the real danger

With more than one million people infected with the novel coronavirus and the pandemic  claiming the lives of tens of thousands of people the world over, panic and fear have set in around the globe. 

An innocent sneeze or cough can elicit strange looks from the public. In some instances, responses have been extreme, including death threats and communities calling for people who display symptoms associated with Covid-19 to leave neighbourhoods.

A Duncan Village businessman who recently travelled to Mozambique spoke out against what he described as baseless rumours that he was infected with the virus. Residents had even asked him and his girlfriend to leave the community, fearing they could put others at risk.

The rumour, it seemed, was sparked when his girlfriend asked a neighbour for a painkiller for him. She had also coughed. Fear quickly spread. Soon an ambulance was at his door to take him to hospital. The man, who has an underlying health condition, refused.  He has since been tested to disprove those who want him gone and is awaiting results.

Ncebakazi Willie of Xhora (formerly Elliotdale) on Monday told of death threats from villagers. The 27-year-old, who recently returned from Italy, where she worked on a cruise ship, had tested positive for Covid-19. Willie, who has since recovered,  was tormented on social media and even received a threatening anonymous call while recovering in hospital. Through it all, she persevered.

Despite all the information available about the virus, it has struck fear in communities around SA. It is this fear that makes communities act irrationally. But this much is clear: just keep your hands clean, don't touch your face and stay a metre from anyone coughing or sneezing, and you should be safe. If you're doing the cough or sneeze, tuck your face into your bent elbow.

Awareness in communities is commendable but it should never lead to the kind of witch hunt Willie and her family had to endure.

This will only lead to people hiding symptoms for fear of their neighbours' reaction. It is the fear of stigma, then, that will lead to infections spreading, difficulty in identifying the first victim and tracing the people they were in contact with.

While everyone has a role to play in the fight against Covid-19, it is imperative that as a society we act responsibly. Threatening people who may or may not have the virus is unacceptable.

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