Health

In the middle of the fight against the second wave of coronavirus in India, doctors are reporting cases of a rare fungal infection called the “Black Fungus or Mucormycosis,” occurring among people recovering from the Covid-19 disease. As per the doctor’s infection of Black Fungus can be life threatening and has a mortality rate between 46–96 percent depending on severity.

What is Black Fungus: Mucormycosis?

Black Fungus or Mucormycosis is a very rare fungal infection caused by a class of molds called mucormycetes. These fungi are ubiquitous and are commonly found in soil, plants, manure, and decaying fruits and vegetables.

Humans get the infection by inhaling the fungal spores floating around in the air and in dust. It affects the sinuses, the brain and the lungs and can be life-threatening in diabetic or severely immunocompromised individuals, such as cancer patients or people with HIV/AIDS.

Cause of Black Fungus or Mucormycosis in Covid-19 Patients:

People with compromised immune systems may easily fall victim to Mucormycosis, for example, those with blood cancer undergoing chemotherapy or bone-marrow transplant patients.

Experts believes that, the indiscriminate use of steroids, a life-saving treatment for severe and critically ill Covid-19 patients is likely the cause. Steroids reduce inflammation in the lungs for Covid-19 and appear to help stop some of the damage that can happen when the body’s immune system goes into overdrive to fight off coronavirus. But overuse of these drugs in COVID-19 patients can result in lowered immunity and raised blood sugar levels. Higher blood sugar levels and more acidic blood creates a fertile environment for Mucorales fungi to thrive.

Symptoms of Mucormycosis:

Mucormycosis can affect different parts of the body, showing different sets of symptoms. Some of the common symptoms of the resulting Mucormycosis include:

• Stuffy and Bleeding Nose
• Reddish and Swollen Skin Near the Nose or Eyes
• Drooping of Eyelids
• Facial Pain
• Cough Producing Bloody or Dark Fluids
• Shortness of Breath
• There could be Black Patches of Skin around the Nose

Preventive Steps to Lower the Risk of Mucormycosis:

• Educate society about the disease.
• Periodically sample the air in hospitals, especially in the critical care wards, to check for the presence of spores.
• Ensure that the humidifiers used during oxygen therapy are sterile.
• Recovering patients should be advised to remain indoors until they regain their natural strength and immunity.
• Patients engaged in farming or gardening should be advised to lay off from work until the storm of covid-19 settled.

How is Mucormycosis treated?

Mucormycosis is a serious infection and needs to be treated with prescription antifungal medicine, usually amphotericin B, posaconazole, or isavuconazole. These medicine should be given under the guidance and supervision of doctor. These medicines are given through a vein (amphotericin B, posaconazole, isavuconazole) or by mouth (posaconazole, isavuconazole). Other medicines, including fluconazole, voriconazole, and echinocandins, do not work against fungi that cause mucormycosis. Often, mucormycosis requires surgery to cut away the infected tissue.