By Aakanksha Khajuria

New Delhi, Jun 26 (IANS): The fear of contracting coronavirus at a time when cases have mounted to half a million in India has magnified due to the social stigma attached to this disease. As cases in the national capital skyrocket, so has the discrimination and harassment of those who have been infected by the virus.

From frontline healthcare workers, crew members in the airline industry, to those who have contracted it and are in home isolation, everyone is facing the stigma attached to the disease.

In one such incident, a 32-year-old man living alone in a one-room apartment in Phase 1, Pocket 2 of Delhi's Mayur Vihar locality became the victim of people's apathy.

The man tested positive on June 20 and to seek help, told the security guard about his health condition. He asked the guard to help him get groceries till the time he recovered. The word, however, spread like wildfire in the area.

"It initiated an unending cycle of discrimination. The cleaning lady stopped taking out his trash, neighbours, security guards and residential association members refused to help and in-turn passed remarks and chided him," said one of his friends, Kavita Chahal.

His friends then joined hands to extend help and supply groceries to him. "We, sometimes, sit across the hall to give him company at this tough time as he has no one to talk to and due to social stigma, he has been ostracized from society."

President of the Resident Welfare Association of the area, M.K. Kak, however, steered away from commenting on the issue despite repeated requests.

Atul Goyal, President of URJA, a consortium of over 2,500 Resident Welfare Associations, said that incidents of such nature should be brought to the notice of the police.

"Coronavirus is not like leprosy. Time and again, we have advised the community leadership to treat people with sympathy," he added.

This is not the first time such an incident has happened in the national capital. People have been facing discrimination since the first day of the lockdown. Many appeals have been made to the government to take strict action against people who discriminate against corona victims.

The Union Health Ministry had recently issued an illustrated guide listing the effects of discrimination to address the stigma associated with coronavirus.

The ministry said this can lead people to conceal symptoms, hesitate in seeking medical care and not make them adhere to interventions like home quarantine.

It can also lead to a feeling of emotional isolation, guilt and anxiety, lack of self-esteem and confidence, ostracization and worsening of pre-existing psychiatric illnesses such as depression.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also emphasized that no stigma should be attached to coronavirus. "I was extremely hurt when I came to know that some people are misbehaving with those who are being advised home quarantine. Increase social distancing but reduce emotional distancing."