ABSTRACT
From the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, stigma and discrimination have fuelled the transmission of Coronavirus and has negatively impacted the people who turn Covid-positive. Stigma and its negative feelings have kept people with Covid symptoms from testing and seeking prompt treatment. Identifying the severity of its impact, taking corrective measures to treat the disease and mitigating the stigma related to this novel disease are important roles to be carried out by nurses. This study was conducted among patients discharged from a Dedicated Covid Health Centre (DCHC) in Satara (Maharashtra) to assess the level of stigma faced by them. A quantitative design using a non-probability purposive sampling technique was adopted. Sixty adults in the age group of 18 to 60 years who recovered from Covid -19, who were able to understand Marathi, Hindi or English participated in the study. The study subjects were telephonically interviewed using a self-prepared structured questionnaire. The responses received were collated and analysed. The study revealed that 16 (26.6%) experienced mild stigma, 31 (51.7%) experienced medium stigma and 13 (21.7%) experienced moderate stigma. The stigma was associated signifi cantly with age and there were no signifi cant association between variables such as marital status, gender and occupation.