Covid-19: In which zone do you want to be?
The Covid-19 national lockdown has changed everything. The mere fact that you are required to stay at home, is probably bringing a part of you to the surface that you haven’t been aware of or perhaps suppressed – in a constructive or less constructive ways.
The question of ‘Who I want to be during Covid-19’ is nevertheless an interesting one that is up for debate.
Have a look and see where you fit in:
Fear and anxiety about a disease can lead to social stigma people, places, or things. For example, stigma and discrimination can occur when people associate a disease, such as Covid-19, with a population or nationality, even though not everyone in that population or from that region is specifically at risk for the disease. Stigma can also occur after a person has been released from Covid-19 quarantine even though they are not considered a risk for spreading the virus to others.
Some groups of people who may be experiencing stigma because of Covid-19 include:
- Persons of Asian descent
- People who have travelled
- Emergency responders or healthcare workers
Stigma hurts everyone by creating fear or anger towards other people.
Stigmatised groups may be subjected to:
- Social avoidance or rejection
- Denials of healthcare, education, housing or employment
- Physical violence.
Everyone reacts differently to stressful situations. How you respond to the outbreak can depend on your background, the things that make you different from other people, and the community you live in.
People who may respond more strongly to the stress of a crisis include:
- Older people and people with chronic diseases who are at higher risk for Covid-19
- Children and teens
- People who are helping with the response to Covid-19, like doctors and other health care providers, or first responders
- People who have mental health conditions including problems with substance use
Stress during an infectious disease outbreak can include:
- Fear and worry about your own health and the health of your loved ones
- Changes in sleep or eating patterns
- Difficulty sleeping or concentrating
- Worsening of chronic health problems
- Increased use of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs
Source: Centre for Disease Control and Prevention
* Notice: Coronavirus reporting at Caxton Local Media aims to combat fake news
Dear reader,
As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as ‘fake news’) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth, in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19.
Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor, Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser, Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).
