Covid 19 and Black Fungus

The country is suffering. If you’re breathing without paying money in today’s world then you’re lucky. The recovery rates and death rates in the country are racing with each other. The outspread of the new mutant of Corona Virus is very fatal. The B.1.617.2 lineage of the SARS-COV-2 virus has been the reason of domination of the second wave of Corona in India.

A similar mutant was earlier observed in UK first, which proved to be deadly. Now in India new mutant is proving fatal but there is a new red flag being raised by the Medical Authorities. The disease ‘Mucormycosis’ also called the ‘Black Fungus’ is spreading among the covid-19 patients that are diabatic, undergoing transplants or having immunodeficiency.

The rare yet deadly fungal disease called Mucormycosis is also formally called as Zygomycosis. Now-a-days it is also known as black fungus.

Covid 19 and Black Fungus

Generally, the disease is caused due to the exposure to the mucormytes molds. The mucomyete mold can occur in leaves, piles of compost, soil, rotting wood and excreta. The sinus (pulmonary) exposure which is the contraction of mucormycosis by breathing in the air containing mucormyete molds. The infection through the sinus exposure can develop in the central nervous system, eyes, face, lungs or sinuses. Sometimes, a cut or burn becomes the area of infection when barely exposed to the fungus; this is called cutaneous exposure.

Since, the fungus naturally occurs in the environment, the people having low immunity or a weakened immune system are at a higher risk of getting infected by it. Other conditions which increase the risk of infection are burns, cuts, scrapes, cancer, recent organ transplant, HIV or aids, surgery and especially diabetes if not treated well. The diagnosis of Mucormycosis is done by lab analysis of tissue samples.

The Mucormycosis is presented as either a respiratory or a skin infection. The symptoms of the disease caused by the fungal infection include cough, fever, headache, nasal congestion and sinus pain. The Mucormycosis can also develop other conditions such as brain infection, paralysis, pneumonia, seizures and unfortunately death if the fungal disease is left untreated and movement of it takes place throughout body.

The fungal disease is treated with anti-fungal medications and having surgical debridement.

The Mucormycosis or the Black Fungus is turning out to be a problem for the doctors in fighting the Covid-19 second wave.

The government had stated that there is no relation between the Covid-19 and Mucormycosis. It is natural and breeds in wet surfaces. The government stated that there is major outbreak and the conditions are under control. Also, it is very uncommon among non-diabetic patients. The doctors have started the trend of increasing cases of Mucormycosis treated with steroids that are essential medicines. The patients getting infected are found to have history of diabetes.

111 mucormycosis patients are undergoing treatment in Mumbai. The 111 patients of mucormycosis are the survivors of COVID-19 which are now being it treated in Mumbai Hospitals. 38 mucormycosis patients are being treated at the civic-run BY Nair Hospital, 34 at KEM Hospital, 32 at SION hospital and 7 at Cooper Hospital, as stated by Municipal Commissioner Suresh Kakani. Most of the patients in the Mumbai hospitals are from outside Mumbai. There are arrangements by the civic body to set up medical expert’s panel to decide the line of treatment of disease. The antifungal drug Amphotericin B is procured by the purchase authority of BMC and the Hospitals have been authorized to purchase it locally. Deputy Commissioner Kakani informed that the mucormycosis disease is non- contagious and the doctors at the Covid-19 hospitals are trained to handle it.

Source: The Print, Healthline, The Economic Times.