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For the past year, the Covid-19 virus has singlehandedly impacted people and families around the world. By now we all likely know someone who has had the virus. Never in my wildest dreams did I think my husband and I would be one of "those people" and a statistic.
My husband and I thought we've been pretty careful when it comes to protecting ourselves and our two small children from the virus, so you can imagine our shock when we found out he tested positive! Initially, I tested negative but a few days later I retested and it came back positive: however, my 6 and 4 year old tested negative.
Thankfully for my husband and I, our symptoms were mild in comparison to others who have suffered from severe symptoms or unfortunately passed away as a result of contracting the virus.
Once we found out we had Covid we started to feel a sense of shame and fear regarding how we would be perceived by others when we stepped back into the world. We talked about the cloud of stigma that would follow us; would friends and family feel awkward around us? How will our kids be perceived and treated when they return to their daycare? These thoughts of stigma also had me thinking about those who get impacted by the stigma. The stigma can increase one's anxiety and in some cases, people may even further isolate themselves.
As I previously said, it's likely that everyone has known someone whose been infected by Covid. My hope is that the stigma around those infected with Covid will decrease as people start to talk more about it and as we learn more about this virus that has impacted us.
Anonymous
Accessible Professional Member.
