Stigma is a social process in which individuals are labeled, stereotyped, and separated from others based on characteristics perceived as undesirable. When this process is linked to a health condition, it can lead to social isolation, discrimination, delayed care-seeking, missed treatments, depression, shame, and underdiagnosis. Health-related stigma has been documented across a range of conditions, including mental illness, HIV/AIDS, obesity, leprosy, epilepsy, and cancer, and may also affect family members and caregivers through exclusion, harassment, and denial of services.

This article explores the perceptions of physicians, nurses, and other frontline healthcare providers to identify the drivers that underlie the stigmatization of COVID-19, and discusses strategies to prevent future health-related stigma.