Tuberc Respir Dis.
2023 Jul;86(3):216-225. 10.4046/trd.2022.0062.
Tuberculosis and COVID-19 Related Stigma: Portuguese Patients Experiences
- Alfaiate A
1,2 - Rodrigues R2,3
- Aguiar A4,5,6
- Duarte R4,5,6,7,8
- Affiliations
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- 1Pulmonology Service, Hospital de São Bernardo, Centro Hospitalar de Setúbal, EPE, Setúbal, Portugal
- 2Pulmonary Diagnosis Center of Vila Nova de Gaia, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
- 3Pneumology Service, Hospital Center of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, EPE, Vila Real, Portugal
- 4EPIUnit - Institute of Public Health, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- 5Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health (ITR), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- 6School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- 7Clinical Research Unit of the Northern Regional Health Administration (ARS Norte), Porto, Portugal
- 8Pulmonology Service, Centro Hospitalar de Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
- KMID: 2543176
- DOI: http://doi.org/10.4046/trd.2022.0062
Abstract
- Background
Tuberculosis (TB)-related stigma has been well-documented. Since the emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), different organizations have been alerted to the fact that stigma could arise again. Due to stigma’s negative effects, this qualitative study aimed to explore the stigma felt by patients by evaluating the following: COVID-19 stigma and its temporal progression through the pandemic; stigma perceived by different patients with TB before and during COVID-19 pandemic; and difference perceived by individuals who contracted both diseases.
Methods
A semi-structured interview was developed according to the available literature on the theme. It was performed individually in 2022 upon receiving signed informed consent. Participants were recruited with a purposive sampling approach by searching medical records. Those who currently or previously had pulmonary TB and/ or COVID-19 were included. Data were subjected to thematic analysis.
Results
Nine patients were interviewed, including six (66.7%) females. The median age of patients was 51±14.7 years. Four participants (44.4%) had completed high school and four (44.4%) were never smokers. Three had both TB and COVID-19. Four only had TB and two only had COVID-19. Interviews identified eight main themes: knowledge and beliefs, with several misconceptions identified; attitudes towards the disease, varying from social support to exclusion; knowledge and education, assumed as of extreme importance; internalized stigma, with self-rejection; experienced stigma, with discrimination episodes; anticipated stigma, modifying actions for avoiding stigma; perceived stigma, with judgment by others prevailed; and temporal evolution of stigma.
Conclusion
Individuals expressed strong stigma for both diseases. De-stigmatization of respiratory infectious diseases is crucial for limiting stigma’s negative impact.
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