Medicine and Health

The implication of the illness metaphors of *In America*: Mitigating negative effects of metaphors through illness narratives in the postpandemic era of COVID-19

R. Dai and S. Peng

This paper, conducted by Rumeng Dai and Shuixiang Peng, delves into the detrimental effects of illness metaphors prevalent in our language and culture, particularly as critiqued by Susan Sontag in *In America*. It highlights how these metaphors exacerbate stigmatization during the COVID-19 pandemic and proposes illness narratives as a compassionate alternative to enhance communication and empathy between patients and doctors.