Background: Public responses, in the form of social discrimination and stigmatizing behaviors, are increasingly being observed against individuals with confirmed COVID-19 and healthcare workers (HCWs) caring for those individuals. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the perception of social discrimination and coping strategies, and explore predictors of social discrimination and coping with COVID-19 among HCWs and individuals with confirmed COVID-19. 

Methods: 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. 

Results: In this study, individuals confirmed with COVID-19 reported a high level of social discrimination compared with HCWs (t = 2.62, p < 0.01), while HCWs reported a high level of coping with COVID-19 compared to individuals with COVID-19 (t = -3.91, p < 0.001). 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 with confirmed COVID-19. 

Conclusions: The findings showed that individuals with confirmed COVID-19 were more likely to face social discrimination, and HCWs cope with COVID-19 better than ordinary individuals with confirmed COVID-19.

Dr. Heyam completed bachelor nursing study from Jordan University of science and Technology. Her master degree in nursing was from New Mexico State University-USA and PhD in Nursing from the University of Texas at Houston. She specialized in psychiatric mental health nursing, with focus on stigma and family caregivers’ research. Dr. Heyam has multiple Scopus Index publications. She has published work on stigma perceptions, instrument translation and cultural modifications. She is also working on multiple research projects concerning contemporary Nursing Education and Simulation Pedagogy, bioethics, and psychometric and measurement theory in healthcare research. Dr. Heyam Dalky is listed at one of the top 2% of the most Cited-Scientists by Stanford and Elsevier- 2021, 2022, 2023.