What would John do? COVID-19 stigmatization, social distance and race

Like many infectious diseases, COVID-19 is a heavily stigmatized and racialized health condition. The objective of the present study was to examine racial differences in COVID-19 stigmatization. To assess the intersection between COVID-19 stigmatization and race, we asked 568 individuals to respond to hypothetical vignettes, using a web-based survey. We presented respondents with the vignette of John, an individual infected with COVID-19 with an unspecified race, and asked them to predict how likely John might be to experience COVID-19 stigmatization. We then asked respondents to predict John’s COVID-19 stigmatization if he was Black, Chinese or Hasidic (Jewish). The study followed a 3 × 3 factorial design where there were 3 race/ethnicity groups for participants (Asian, Black, White) and 3 race/ethnicity groups for the vignette character (Chinese, Black, Hasidic). Our main findings were: (1) respondents believed that John would experience more internal shame and external problems if he was Chinese or Hasidic; (2) Black respondents believed that John would experience more external problems at work/home if John was Black; (3) Black respondents were also less likely to expect John to disclose his COVID-19 status to friends, family and neighbors; and (4) New York City residents were less likely to engage in social distancing with John. By understanding racialized perceptions about COVID-19 among diverse racial groups, we can design effective public health campaigns that do not reinforce racialized stigma.