**12. Conclusion**

In the current pandemic process, we are going through times that we have never experienced before as the whole world. COVID-19 will have devastating consequences on humanity in the short and long term, causing significant sociological, economic, and psychological problems. Stigma and xenophobia is a barrier to medical evaluation, communication, delivering, and receiving necessary care due to fear and is associated with both physical and mental health complications. Healthcare workers who heroically fight the epidemic during this process are especially at risk of stigmatization. Also, various ethnic groups are at risk of xenophobia in epidemics. COVID-19 related stigma needs to be addressed rigorously by professionals and health care providers as well as authorities. Fighting stigma and xenophobia is a vital issue as much as fighting the epidemic. The pandemic will end one day, but the effects of stigma and xenophobia and the effects of the pandemic may continue for many years and cause devastating results. In addition to developing national strategies to prevent stigma and xenophobia, international cooperation is needed. It is necessary to recognize stigma and xenophobia in epidemic periods and to create training and policies to combat these problems. This will lead to a stronger sense of unity, more effective scientific communication, greater adherence to the rules and guidelines set for combating the pandemic, more efficient use of medical means, and ultimately better management of the pandemic as a whole.
