The outbreak of COVID-19 forced public health authorities around the world to call for national emergency plans. Public responses, in form of social discrimination and stigmatizing behaviors, are increasingly being observed against confirmed individuals with confirmed COVID-19 and healthcare workers (HCWs) caring for those individuals. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the perception of social discrimination and coping strategies, and explore predictors of social discrimination and coping toward COVID-19 among HCWs and individuals with confirmed COVID-19. This study used a cross-sectional descriptive-comparative design to collect data using a convenience sample of 105 individuals with confirmed COVID-19 and 109 HCWs using a web-based survey format. In this study, individuals confirmed with COVID-19 reported a high level of social discrimination compared with HCWs (t = 2.62, p < .01). While HCWs reported high level of coping with COVID-19 compared with individuals with COVID-19 (t = -3.91, p < .001). Educational level, age, monthly income, and taking over-the-counter medication were predictors of social discrimination and coping with COVID-19 among HCWs and individuals confirmed with COVID-19. In conclusion, the findings showed individuals with confirmed COVID-19 were more likely to face social discrimination and HCWs perform better coping with COVID-19 than individuals with confirmed COVID-19.

The outbreak of COVID-19 forced public health authorities around the world to call for national emergency plans. Public responses, in form of social discrimination and stigmatizing behaviors, are increasingly being observed against confirmed individuals with confirmed COVID-19 and healthcare workers (HCWs) caring for those individuals. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the perception of social discrimination and coping strategies, and explore predictors of social discrimination and coping toward COVID-19 among HCWs and individuals with confirmed COVID-19. This study used a cross-sectional descriptive-comparative design to collect data using a convenience sample of 105 individuals with confirmed COVID-19 and 109 HCWs using a web-based survey format. In this study, individuals confirmed with COVID-19 reported a high level of social discrimination compared with HCWs (t = 2.62, p < .01). While HCWs reported high level of coping with COVID-19 compared with individuals with COVID-19 (t = -3.91, p < .001). Educational level, age, monthly income, and taking over-the-counter medication were predictors of social discrimination and coping with COVID-19 among HCWs and individuals confirmed with COVID-19. In conclusion, the findings showed individuals with confirmed COVID-19 were more likely to face social discrimination and HCWs perform better coping with COVID-19 than individuals with confirmed COVID-19.

The outbreak of COVID-19 forced public health authorities around the world to call for national emergency plans. Public responses, in form of social discrimination and stigmatizing behaviors, are increasingly being observed against confirmed individuals with confirmed COVID-19 and healthcare workers (HCWs) caring for those individuals. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the perception of social discrimination and coping strategies, and explore predictors of social discrimination and coping toward COVID-19 among HCWs and individuals with confirmed COVID-19. This study used a cross-sectional descriptive-comparative design to collect data using a convenience sample of 105 individuals with confirmed COVID-19 and 109 HCWs using a web-based survey format. In this study, individuals confirmed with COVID-19 reported a high level of social discrimination compared with HCWs (t = 2.62, p < .01). While HCWs reported high level of coping with COVID-19 compared with individuals with COVID-19 (t = -3.91, p < .001). Educational level, age, monthly income, and taking over-the-counter medication were predictors of social discrimination and coping with COVID-19 among HCWs and individuals confirmed with COVID-19. In conclusion, the findings showed individuals with confirmed COVID-19 were more likely to face social discrimination and HCWs perform better coping with COVID-19 than individuals with confirmed COVID-19.

The outbreak of COVID-19 forced public health authorities around the world to call for national emergency plans. Public responses, in form of social discrimination and stigmatizing behaviors, are increasingly being observed against confirmed individuals with confirmed COVID-19 and healthcare workers (HCWs) caring for those individuals. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the perception of social discrimination and coping strategies, and explore predictors of social discrimination and coping toward COVID-19 among HCWs and individuals with confirmed COVID-19. This study used a cross-sectional descriptive-comparative design to collect data using a convenience sample of 105 individuals with confirmed COVID-19 and 109 HCWs using a web-based survey format. In this study, individuals confirmed with COVID-19 reported a high level of social discrimination compared with HCWs (t = 2.62, p < .01). While HCWs reported high level of coping with COVID-19 compared with individuals with COVID-19 (t = -3.91, p < .001). Educational level, age, monthly income, and taking over-the-counter medication were predictors of social discrimination and coping with COVID-19 among HCWs and individuals confirmed with COVID-19. In conclusion, the findings showed individuals with confirmed COVID-19 were more likely to face social discrimination and HCWs perform better coping with COVID-19 than individuals with confirmed COVID-19.

The outbreak of COVID-19 forced public health authorities around the world to call for national emergency plans. Public responses, in form of social discrimination and stigmatizing behaviors, are increasingly being observed against confirmed individuals with confirmed COVID-19 and healthcare workers (HCWs) caring for those individuals. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the perception of social discrimination and coping strategies, and explore predictors of social discrimination and coping toward COVID-19 among HCWs and individuals with confirmed COVID-19. This study used a cross-sectional descriptive-comparative design to collect data using a convenience sample of 105 individuals with confirmed COVID-19 and 109 HCWs using a web-based survey format. In this study, individuals confirmed with COVID-19 reported a high level of social discrimination compared with HCWs (t = 2.62, p < .01). While HCWs reported high level of coping with COVID-19 compared with individuals with COVID-19 (t = -3.91, p < .001). Educational level, age, monthly income, and taking over-the-counter medication were predictors of social discrimination and coping with COVID-19 among HCWs and individuals confirmed with COVID-19. In conclusion, the findings showed individuals with confirmed COVID-19 were more likely to face social discrimination and HCWs perform better coping with COVID-19 than individuals with confirmed COVID-19.