The stigma associated with SARS-CoV-2 and living in New York state
Written by Site Hub on May 27, 2020
Many people are worried about both prejudices related to surviving the SARS-CoV-2 virus and their status as New York residents. A report out of Maine discussed by the Democrat and Chronicle on Sunday, May 24, claimed that the state has seen an uptick in requests for vehicle license plates from New York residents who maintain seasonal homes in Maine.
The concerns of seasonal residents aren’t entirely unfounded. They’re facing discrimination because of coming from a state that has had such a high number of cases and deaths.
COVID-19 survivors are having even more difficulty: As pointed out in a recent story by NBC New York, some businesses have refused to serve survivors. People who do interact with them, such as family, friends, and neighbors, sometimes treat them like they’re still disease carriers. Those who wear t-shirts proclaiming that they’re survivors to help deal with the emotional toll of their experiences face misunderstanding and fear.
Yet, the problem goes beyond discrimination based on geography and diagnosis. People of color and women are facing far worse. In a recent VOX article, Fiona Lowenstein explored the “massive” impact on communities of color. She noted that news stories “often miss the nuances of people’s experiences, like the fact that people of color and women are more likely to have their symptoms dismissed by doctors, or that Black people are being turned away at emergency rooms and urgent care centers.”
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