ABSTRACT
The high number of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia has caused anxiety among the Indonesian people and has created a negative stigma attached to medical personnel because they are considered vulnerable to being exposed to COVID-19. The purposes of this research were (1) to find out the negative stigma attached to medical personnel, both from the family and society in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, (2) to explore the impact of negative stigma in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and (3) to investigate the solutions applied to prevent and overcome the negative stigma amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This research employed a qualitative research approach, and the data was gathered using in-depth interviews via video calls and/or by telephone. The results of this study indicate that the negative stigma received by medical personnel comes from family, friends, neighbors, and even immediate family members. The attitudes shown are also of various kinds, such as discrimination, exclusion, bullying, and even expulsion.
