An outbreak of 102 coronavirus cases linked to nightclubs in South Korea has led to fears of backlash against the LGBT community.
Authorities are racing to contain a fresh wave of infections in Seoul, the country's capital, believed to be linked to the gay party district Itaewon.
Gay revellers are reportedly scared to be tested if a positive diagnosis contributes to their sexuality being revealed.
Some are therefore giving false details, the BBC reports.
The Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) says that of 35 cases identified on Sunday, 29 are linked to nightclubs and bars in the area.
It has also been reported by local media that another man who tested positive visited an LGBT sauna in Gangnam.
South Korea has won global praise for its handling of the pandemic and its "test, trace and isolate" strategy, and only had a handful of Covid-19 cases before the latest outbreak.
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But amid the fresh surge there are fears LGBT Koreans are too scared to come forward for testing, in a country where homosexuality is often taboo.
As of yesterday, officials were still searching for 3,112 people thought to have been at nightclubs who they were struggling to contact, the Guardian reports.
A gay man in his 30s told the paper that fear of receiving a positive test result has left him feeling suicidal.
"I feel so trapped and hunted down. If I get tested, my company will most likely find out I’m gay," he said.
"I’ll lose my job and face a public humiliation. I feel as if my whole life is about to collapse."
The man says that while he admits it was a "huge mistake" to visit the district amid the coronavirus pandemic, "visiting the area is the only time when I can be myself and hang out with others similar to me."
In an effort to control the virus, all revellers who visit nightclubs must give authorities their names and contact numbers.
However, the BBC reports some of the details have been found to be false, making it difficult to track down and isolate people potentially carrying the infection.
In an effort to encourage people to come forward, officials now say that tests can be carried out anonymously.
However, anyone later found to have failed to do so could face a visit from police and a fine of 2 million Korean won (£1,320).
Over the weekend, the country's prime minister, Chung Sye-kyun, also urged the public to "refrain from criticising a certain community as it will not help efforts to contain the coronavirus spread."
More than 10,000 people have now been tested for the virus.
The latest outbreak brings the total number of coronavirus cases in South Korea to 10,936, while 258 people have lost their lives.
