KUALA LUMPUR: The second wave of Covid-19 infections, which saw a spike in the number of cases, has led to increased fear and panic among the public, giving rise to “unjustified hate” and stigmatisation of former Covid-19 patients.
In the case of Patient 26 — later revealed to be UDA Holdings Bhd chairman Datuk Hisham Hamdan — Netizens were quick to lash out, citing him as the source of the spread of the disease.
The Health Ministry said Patient 26 was not the index case and that it was hunting for “patient zero”.
The backlash has taken a toll on patients, former patients and their next of kin.
It was learnt that even children who had close contact with Covid-19 cases but tested negative were not allowed to attend school, and spouses had been prohibited from workplaces.
People had cited a “lack of transparency” on the authorities’ part, saying they did not name the places where the patients lived, worked or visited, as a precautionary measure.
The ministry shares the age, gender, nationality and travel history of confirmed cases.
Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, however, advised the public against victimising patients and those suspected to be infected.
He advised against the labelling of locations or premises as “Covid-19 sites”.
The ministry, he said, would continue disinfecting and cleaning such premises, therefore, the chances of the public contracting the virus are “very low”.
“Yes, the public wants to know the details of the person (tested positive for Covid-19), such as who they are, where they work and live. But it is against our medical act and professional conduct to release such information. We must safeguard patients’ confidentiality.
“More importantly, we should not victimise the patients and stigmatise the facilities,” he told the New Straits Times.
Dr Noor Hisham advised the public to seek information from credible sources before sharing it on social media.
As World Health Organisation director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had said: “This is the time for facts, not fear; for science, not rumours. This is the time for solidarity, not stigma”.
Despite this, calls to reveal patients’ location flooded the ministry’s Facebook page each time an update was posted.
One of the posts read: “We have the right to know which area or location, so we can be prepared.”
Another read: “Please provide details of where the patients have travelled” and “Why are you only updating the statistics but not revealing the locations?”
Tony, a spokesman for the ‘Wuhan Coronavirus Malaysia’ Facebook page that had some 10,000 followers, claimed that the information provided by the ministry was vague and not useful.
This, he said had fuelled speculation and rumours.
He called on the hospitals involved to provide information about Covid-19 cases and issue updates to the public.
He said the authorities should punish those who gave false information of their travel history, or those who broke quarantine when they tested positive for Covid-19.
“A text and mobile web-based software should be established so that those under home quarantine can be monitored. We are also not aggressive on travel restrictions. Singapore has long closed its borders to visitors from high-risk countries.”
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission had warned the public not to spread fake news on Covid-19 that might cause panic and disrupt public order. People are advised to refer to the ministry’s social media accounts and website or Sebenarnya.my portal.
Up to yesterday, 102,198 Covid-19 cases were recorded in 97 countries with 3,491 deaths. Malaysia has 99 cases.