The Indian government and health authorities will achieve better results in getting people to be transparent about reporting COVID-19 symptoms if they run campaigns that address the social stigma associated with the disease..
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With so much social stigma associated with COVID-19, people may be tempted to conceal their symptoms. They may also flee quarantine facilities and isolation wards at hospitals, creating an arduous task for authorities who must not only start tracing them but also the people they have interacted with.
Apart from running campaigns that aim at reducing social stigma associated with COVID-19 on all forms of media including newspapers, radio, television, mobile phones, etc., the Indian government needs to destigmatise the concept of isolation as well. Campaigns need to highlight that isolation is a mere medical necessity to beat COVID-19.