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What he found startled him. Out of the more than 3,500 people surveyed across North America, around 25 per cent stigmatized health care workers.

Those who were fearful of health care workers were in support of putting “severe restrictions” on the freedom of health care workers like being kept in isolation from friends and family and not being allowed into public spaces like grocery stores. Around a third of people said they avoided medical professionals if they did see them in public spaces.

The higher people ranked in the COVID-19 stress assessment, the more likely they were to fear health care workers.

“We saw a lot of cheering of our health care workers from balconies and from driveways, which is absolutely warranted, but at the same time there were reports of people lashing out against health care workers who were in grocery stores in their health care uniforms, for fear that they may also be carrying the virus or may be a source of contagion,” said Asmundson.

This stigmatization of health care workers is not new to the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been noted during other viral outbreaks as well, like the SARS epidemic in 2002-03. This time, however, it has been more pronounced, said Asmundson.

For health care workers, Asmundson said this stigma could only add to their daily challenges and the fears they may already face going to work each day during a pandemic. It could also make them feel “under appreciated,” he said.

“Health care workers are no more likely to carry or to have COVID-19, to be a source of contagion, than anyone else,” Asmundson said, noting that a public messaging campaign would likely make a significant impact in squashing this stigma.