Even with a virus that doesn’t respect borders, vulnerability is spread unevenly. And some of the largest disparities seen so far have involved race and ethnicity.
Throughout the COVID-19 crisis many individuals, particularly those from East Asian backgrounds, are reporting more experiences of racism and xenophobia. We write to highlight ways to respond if you are experiencing bias and discrimination or if you are an ally who wants to support them.
This guide for preventing and addressing social stigma associated with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is intended to support governments, media and local organizations. The guide was produced by UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and last updated in March 2020.
Stigmatization looms large in global health ethics because it prevents those with disease from seeking care, engenders fear of those who have disease, causes prejudice against entire groups or communities, and has, in some cases, led to violence against the stigmatized group.
Stigmatization is the real virus we should all be scared of, because it seems like it takes only an event like this to disrupt all the work done every day in the past decades to fight against discrimination and stigma.
As COVID-19 infections increase, so too does racism and xenophobia. Use our “Speak Up” strategies to let people know you’re not OK with racist or xenophobic comments about coronavirus or anything else.
This bulletin reminds entities covered by civil rights authorities keep in mind their obligations under laws and regulations that prohibit discrimination and the HIPAA Rules.
With coronavirus cases continuing to climb and hospitals facing the prospect of having to decide how to allocate limited staff and resources, the Department of Health and Human Services is reminding states and health care providers that civil rights laws still apply in a pandemic.
