Global Perspective and Ways to Combat Stigma Associated with COVID-19

panic worldwide, due to its novelty, high infectivity, and absence of effective evidence-based treatment. 2,3Faced with this blurry and uncertain situation, fear and its associated behaviors are not uncommon human reactions.The wide media coverage of the pandemic has contributed to the spread of the fear of contagion and subsequent stigmatizing behaviors. 4ollowing the declaration of COVID-19 as a pandemic, people around the world easily adopted stigmatizing beliefs and behaviors towards those diagnosed with COVID-19 and their close contacts and also places, people (e.g., healthcare workers HCW), and ethnic groups (e.g., Chi-