Black Fungus or mucormycosis is recently observed in covid patients and The Indian Government has told doctors to look for its signs. Recetly, the hospitals report a rise in cases of the rare but potentially fatal Black Fungus Infection.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) run by state said at the weekend that doctors treating COVID-19 patients, diabetics and those with compromised immune systems should look for early symptoms. These include sinus pain or nasal blockage on one side of the face, one-sided headache, swelling or numbness, toothache and loosening of teeth.
The disease can cause blackening or discolouration over the nose, blurred or double vision, chest pain, breathing difficulties and coughing blood, is strongly connected to diabetes. The dibetic level is increased by steroids such as dexamethasone which is used to treat severe COVID-19.
“There have been cases reported in several other countries – including the UK, U.S., France, Austria, Brazil and Mexico, but the volume is much bigger in India,” said David Denning. (David is a professor at Britain’s Manchester University and an expert at the Global Action Fund for Fungal Infections (GAFFI) charity.)
India has not revealed national data on Black Fungus. The country has said that there is no major outbreak. Media reports have reported cases in Maharashtra and its capital Mumbai, and Gujarat.
Aparna Mukherjee from ICMR, said: “It’s not something to panic about, but you have to be aware of when to seek consultation.”
But it is a complication that India’s crowded hospitals, desperately short of beds as well as the oxygen needed for severely ill COVID-19 patients, could do without.
