As Singapore reached DORSCON Orange alert on Feb. 7, panic and paranoia appear to be setting in.

Once the alert was announced, plenty of supermarket shelves were cleared as Singaporeans made a mad rush to stockpile non-perishables and other necessities.

And as the number of confirmed cases rises, it seems distrust and wariness towards those on the frontlines have heightened.

People have taken to social media to share about how uniformed nurses have been ostracised on public transport.

Ambulance driver turned away by stall

And apparently it's not just nurses who have had fear directed their way.

One Facebook user recently shared a conversation he had with his Grab driver.

A screenshot of the original post was reposted by one Zann Thiang, and it has since gone viral with over 15,000 shares.

When asked how was his day, the driver launched into a rather heartbreaking anecdote of an incident he allegedly witnessed, involving an ambulance driver.

The Grab driver said he had been having his lunch at a coffee shop when he spotted an ambulance driver "uncle" in mask and uniform approach a stall to buy food.

According to the Grab driver, the uncle "looked damn tired".

However, the uncle was allegedly turned away by the stall's workers.

Uncle asked him to leave the chicken rice on the floor

The Grab driver said he then offered to buy a meal for the uncle. But similarly afraid of contracting the virus, he also kept his distance.

When asked what food he wanted, the uncle simply replied "I just want chicken rice".

After purchasing the rice, the Grab driver claimed that the uncle stopped him from coming any closer.

To avoid direct contact, he reportedly asked the Grab driver to place the packet of chicken rice on the floor, and he would pick it up after the driver had headed back to his car.

The Grab driver also shared that the uncle had allegedly worked for 12 hours for four days straight.

Presumably too busy with his duties, he had sustained himself on biscuits to keep his stomach full.

The uncle apparently told the Grab driver that he had not seen his family in the past four days as well. After finishing his shift, he allegedly showered at the hospital and slept in his ambulance.

Urging people to remain supportive of frontline medical workers in times like these, the Facebook user said these workers "deserve our respect".

While this incident remains unverified, the message remains the same: There is no need to ostracise frontline workers due to paranoia, especially when they are working hard to help the patients.

You can read the full post here.

Top photo from Zann Thiang / FB and Singapore Fire and Ambulance Appliances / FB