Written by Satata Karmakar |Updated : May 24, 2021 9:43 AM IST
The ferocious second wave of coronavirus has ravaged India in the last few weeks. The virus infection has led to the deaths of thousands of people as the country's death toll reached its peak in mid-may. The virus is continuing to cause devastations across the nation. Amid this, a new infection has emerged which is causing distress amongst the people. There is a steep rise in cases of Mucormycosis, a rare but dangerous and potentially deadly fungal infection also known as 'black fungus' which has turned fatal in the past few days. Thousands of black fungus cases have been reported across the country, with hundreds hospitalized and at least 90 dead.
Black fungus infection affects the nose, eyes, and sinuses among recovering patients or those who have recovered from COVID-19. According to the experts, this fungal infection is leading to prolonged morbidity and mortality among those infected.
Mucormycosis or black fungus is more common among people whose immunity has got lowered due to COVID-19. The infection is also common ming people who have diabetes (especially with diabetic ketoacidosis), chronic kidney disease, liver or cardiac disorders, age-related issues, or those on medication for auto-immune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. The disease is uncommon in those not having diabetes but can be fatal if not treated promptly. According to health experts, the chances of recovery depend upon early diagnosis and treatment.
Apart from the above listed underlying risk factors of the deadly infection, people with cancer or those who have had an organ transplant or stem cell transplant, neutropenia (low number of white blood cells), long term corticosteroid use, iron overload in the body, skin injuries due to surgery, burns or wounds, prematurity, and low birth weights are also highly prone or extremely vulnerable to getting infected by mucormycosis.
Why only patients who have recovered from coronavirus are getting infected with the black fungus? It is so because COVID-19 is considered the highest risk factor of black fungus infection. When a person gets infected with coronavirus, the body gradually experiences a steady decrease in the lymphocyte count and therefore, people who have COVID-19 are more prone to getting this fungal infection.
Also, Covid patients undergoing oxygen therapy in ICUs may have humidifiers in the ward -- which can raise their exposure to moisture, and make them more prone to fungal infection.
You may now think if one can contract both black fungus and COVID-19 at the same time? Yes, according to the reports, a person can suffer from coronavirus and black fungus. However, this is rare and depends on some of the underlying health complications, such as people whose cases are severe enough to put them in the ICU or have existing comorbidities like diabetes or HIV.
Unlike Coronavirus, Mucormycosis or black fungus is not contagious. So, if you have an infected person who has been detected with black fungus, it will not spread to another healthy person via air - it is NOT airborne. Experts have said that the transmission mode is not like what we have noticed in the case of COVID-19.
"Black fungus is not a communicable disease, it cannot transmit from an infected person to a non-infected person by close contact or by cough droplets. It is basically present in the environment and if anybody has an underlying health condition then that person is at a higher risk of getting the infection," AIIMS Director Dr. Randeep Guleria was quoted as saying.
Mucormycosis is caused by a group of molds called mucormycetes. It is naturally found in air, water, and even food. It enters the body through fungal spores from the air or can also occur on the skin after a cut, burn, or skin injury. This fungus infection generally attacks the sinuses or lungs after a person inhales fungal spores in the air, and can also affect the skin following a surface injury like a cut or burn. Let's know what happens after it enters your body.
Mucormycosis begins to manifest as a skin infection in the air pockets located behind the forehead, nose, cheekbones, and in between the eyes and teeth. It then spreads to the eyes, lungs and can even spread to the brain. It leads to blackening or discoloration over the nose, blurred or double vision, chest pain, breathing difficulties, and coughing of blood.
According to the doctors, if not treated promptly, the fungus can spread quite quickly and can prove fatal. The infection is so aggressive that it spreads faster than cancer. In 15 days, it can spread from your mouth to the eyes and within a month to the brain.
Mucormycosis most commonly involves the Rhino-orbital-cerebral system or the lungs. Intestinal or GI mucormycosis is a very rare disease and most commonly involves the stomach or the large intestine.
"GI mucormycosis is rare and the patient presents with vague abdominal symptoms. In recent times history of Covid exposure along with treatment with steroids should warrant an early CT scan of the abdomen," an expert was quoted as saying.
How to stay safe from getting infected by the black fungus infection? Experts say early detection of the disease is the only key that could prevent it from being fatal. Some of the warning symptoms of black fungus include:
India is the diabetic capital of the world. Considering the number of black fungus cases among those who are diabetic and have recovered from COVID-19, AIIMS Director Dr. Randeep Guleria says more cases of Black Fungus are being seen in India because of a large population with poorly controlled diabetes and unrestricted use of steroids in the treatment of COVID-19. He also added that excessive use of self-prescribed steroids has also contributed immensely to India's spread.
Suppose, you get the infection and now the symptoms which we have listed above are appearing. What should you do now? Here is what experts want you to do:
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