Stigma in COVID-19: A barrier to seek medical care and family support

The new coronavirus pandemic at the end of 2019 raised fear around the world. The rapid spread and relatively higher observed case fatality of this disease compared to other viral respiratory infections, have caused social reactions such as xenophobia and stigma. These negative social attitudes and acts will affect different segments of the society, such as patients and their families and health care providers. Also, this could disrupt the identification and surveillance of patients and could lead to considerable negative impacts on its control and management.