Madhya Pradesh: Social stigma forces COVID-19 survivor to put his house on sale

A young COVID-19 survivor from Madhya Pradesh, who did not wish to reveal his identity due to fears of further stigmatisation, along with his entire family, is facing taunts, social discrimination and abuse by his neighbours, relatives and others, to the extent that he has been driven to put his house ‘on sale’.

Shivpuri (Madhya Pradesh): After successfully battling coronavirus disease, a survivor from Shivpuri district of Madhya Pradesh is now having to forge a fight with the social stigma perpetrated by the society which has been plagued by misinformation around the infection and panic.

A young COVID-19 survivor from the state, who did not wish to reveal his identity due to fears of further stigmatisation, along with his entire family, is facing taunts, social discrimination and abuse by his neighbours, relatives and others, to the extent that he has been driven to put his house ‘on sale’.

The entire family now wishes to sell their house so that they can shift to some other place to avoid the stigma.

The survivor’s father told ETV Bharat that some unknown group of people bang their doors every night while hurling abuses. He further alleged that their neighbours are not letting vegetable vendors and milkman engage them.

Similar instances of social stigma have been reported from several parts of the country, wherein not just the cured patients but their families, too, have had to face the issue.