https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/10/9/1518 Open Access Social Stigma in Children with Long COVID by Danilo Buonsenso Anna Camporesi Rosa Morello Cristina De Rose Matteo Fracasso Daniela Pia Rosaria Chieffo Piero Valentini Children 2023, 10(9), 1518; https://doi.org/10.3390/children10091518 Received: 8 July 2023 / Revised: 3 September 2023 / Accepted: 4 September 2023 / Published: 7 September 2023 (This article belongs to the Special Issue Long COVID or Post-COVID-19 Syndrome in Children: What Do We Know So Far?) Abstract There is growing evidence that adults with Long COVID suffer from different sets of stigmata related to their condition. In children with Long COVID, this aspect has never been investigated. This study aims to investigate if children with Long COVID also experience stigma. Methods: Children with a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection evaluated at 3 month follow-ups in a pediatric post COVID unit were asked to fill in an online Long COVID Stigma Scale survey before they were assessed by a pediatrician. Doctors were unaware of children’s responses when they performed a diagnosis of Long COVID or full recovery from previous infection, according to the World Health Organization definition of pediatric Long COVID. Responses to the Stigma scale were then compared in the two cohorts of children. Results: 224 patients responded to the questionnaire; 40 patients were diagnosed with Long COVID. Children with Long COVID significantly more frequently felt embarrassed about having Long COVID (p 0.035), felt embarrassed about having physical limitations (p < 0.001), felt they were valued less due to Long COVID (p 0.003), felt they were different from other peers due to Long COVID (p 0.033), felt significantly more frequently that people behaved differently towards them because they might be lying since the diagnosis of Long COVID (p 0.006), that they were less respected by others due to Long COVID (p 0.017), that other people thought that Long COVID is not a real disease (p 0.007), that other people thought that developing Long COVID is a sign of weakness (p 0.008), and that other people might judge them negatively due to their diagnosis of Long COVID (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Children with Long COVID, similar to adults, are suffering from stigmata due to their condition. These data may have implication and should be used by the public, policy makers, and healthcare professionals regarding pediatric Long COVID. Keywords: long COVID; COVID-19; children; social stigma
although not incorrect (as plural of stigma) maybe 'stigmas' would have been better choice given the other meaning of stigmata.
This is in Italy, but several of the researchers on the pediatric Long Covid study, ClocK, are open deniers and minimizers of Long Covid. Most MDs don't believe in it, many have been openly dismissive, even mocking of the very concept that COVID is not completely harmless outside of very rare complications. How it's just fear and anxiety and whatnot. Obviously there is a lot of stigma when the medical profession openly discriminates and denies it. One of the keywords for the special issue is "psychosomatics", the most significant and prevalent factor of discrimination and stigma. The children are often accused by MDs of lying. This is especially disturbing to a child, and it leads to horrible outcomes like accusations of Munchausen's, whatever that's even supposed to be. I only skimmed but I don't see a single insight into the role medicine plays into it, how much of that stigma is present in clinical settings, but also originates from attitudes in the profession. There is mention of the same issue with ME/CFS, but no recognition that medicine itself is the cause of all of it. This really has a feel of billionaires opining about poverty and never saying a word about inequality or systemic factors.
