What is Black Fungal Infection? A new covid-19 complication?

People are becoming victim to fungal infections after defeating covid-19. People from Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat along with other states, struggling to recover from the second wave of Corona virus infection, have now been attacked by black fungal infection.

Along with Meerut, Varanasi, Kanpur, Gorakhpur and Lucknow, people of Bareilly are also in the grip of it.

This infection is commonly identified as the Black Fungal disease and is scientifically named as Mucormycosis.

People are losing their eyesight as a result of this infection and in some cases even death occurs. Let us know how you can protect your loved ones and yourself from this deadly fungal infection.

What is mucormycosis?

As per the Indian Council of Medical Sciences (ICMR), mucormycosis is a kind of very rare infection caused by fungus that spreads rapidly in the body. Apart from eyes and sinuses, this infection is also affecting the organs like brain, lungs and skin.

In this disease, many eyes have lost their sight while jaw and bones of nose of some patients are also severely affected . If not treated at its earliest, the patient may die. The health department is on high alert for the first time after receiving the cases of black fungal infection.

Already sick people at risk?

This deadly infection is affecting those already suffering from another disease and undergoing treatment before being hit by corona. This reduces their body’s ability to fight environmental pathogens due to compromised immunity.

When such people are admitted to the hospital for treatment of covid-19, the fungus present in the environment infects them at a very rapid pace. Scientists says that steroids used in the treatment of covid infection are also causing this fungal infection.

Patients with Diabetes are at greater risk

According to the ICMR, this mucormycosis affects immunocompromised group of people much faster. Mucormycosis can take dangerous forms if the sugar level increases, especially in patients with corona who have diabetes.

The body’s resistance of those who have recovered from the corona virus infection is weakened. In such a situation, a new threat is attacking the diabetics. It’s knock has posed another challenge in front of the health department.

How dangerous is the black fungus?

Doctors says that black fungus is not a new disease. This can be dangerous if the patient delays treatment after showing symptoms of black fungus. First, this fungus reaches the nose and the jaw through sinuses, making the bones of jaw and nose weak. Ignorance to which leads its entry to the brain.

This infection also damages the ear and throat. If the black fungus reaches the brain, the person’s death would rather inevitable. Doctors says that excessive use of steroids (steroid drugs) in the treatment of covid-19 patients may also be a cause of black fungus.

Be cautious if you notice redness in eyes!

Symptoms include fever, breathlessness, headache, cough, bloody vomiting and redness and pain in and around the eyes and/or nose. It could also lead to alteration in mental status. At the same time, due to these infections, pimples or blisters may occur on the skin and the infection may turn black.

However, according to experts, it is not necessary to have a black fungal infection every time a nose gets block. So do not hesitate to get your tests done.

What to do when you encounter the fungus and experience the symptoms?

If any of these symptoms are experienced, consult a doctor at your earliest. If treated in time, it can be cured with antifungal medications. In critical cases, patient may require surgery. This surgery is performed to remove the affected dead tissues.

Always remember! in case of such severity, do not consume any medicine without consulting the doctor.

Possible treatment for disease

The mortality rate of this infection is 50%, but if the disease is identified in the patient in time, then it could be curable.

Doctors says that controlling diabetes, reducing steroid use and discontinuing immunomodulating drugs are the most important. Treatments for maintaining adequate amounts of water in the body include amphotericin-B for at least 4–6 weeks and normal saline before antifungal therapy.

How to prevent black fungal infection?

If you take precautions, you can avoid black fungus. For this, wear a mask well before you go out, stay away from dust and dirt, do not meet people, avoid unnecessary travelling.

Wear waterproof shoes if keeping the feet dry is inevitable. Do not leave any part wet, wipe the body well after bathing and if any injury occurs anywhere in the body, treat immediately on the advice of the doctor.

If you are having covid infection or have recently recovered, then you should keep a close watch on your body and consult your doctor online at earliest. If you have an offline appointment with the doctor at the hospital, follow the Covid protocol carefully.

DO NOT TAKE THIS LIGHTLY AT ANY COST!

Separate wards for these patients

Among the people recovering from covid-19, cases of Mucormycosis or ‘Black Fungus’ infection are been recorded everywhere.

Amid increasing cases, the Gujarat government has initiated setting up separate wards for such patients in hospitals. They have bought 5,000 vials of medicine that could be used in its treatment. So far more than 100 cases of Mucormycosis have been reported in Gujarat.

It is a rare but serious fungal infection, due to which many patients have gone blind along with other serious problems. As per the Gujarat state government, two separate dedicated 60-bed wards have been set up at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital for the treatment of patients with this rare infection.

Lives of patients with black fungus at risk, saved only by removing their infected eyes- Gujarat

There have been 8 such cases from Gujarat where covid patients suffered black fungus and then lost their eyesight. There are 40 such cases of mucoramycosis from Surat city of Gujarat, out of which 8 people went blind.

Although a statement from the doctors and the Ministry of Health also said that black fungus has a cure, but yes, if the treatment is delayed then the problem can increase. There are also many post-covid patients who attract black fungus even after being recovered.

A similar case has emerged from Mumbai, in which a 29-year-old covid patient suffered a black fungus after recovering. To protect the brain from this infection, the doctor had to remove the patient’s upper jaw.

Half face of a woman has been removed due to infection in Varanasi:

A 52-year-old woman suffering from black fungal infection was successfully operated in Varanasi. Her half-black face was excised and life was saved. If she had not been operated immediately, a 52-year-old woman could have died from black fungus. The operation of a woman suffering from black fungus i.e mucormycosis was done in BHU.

A 52-year-old female was suffering from covid-19. This was the first case in which a covid patient was found to be suffering from this disease.

Dr. Sushil Kumar Aggarwal, Associate Professor of ENT Department at BHU, carried out a successful six-hour operation with his team Dr. Shilki, Dr. Akshat, Dr. Ramraj and Dr. Rajat. After the operation, the woman was been shifted to covid ICU. There she was treated with anti fungal drugs.

To save the woman’s life, her jaw and half of her face, including one eye, had been removed. A tube had been installed for food, from which life-saving medicines were given.

The woman’s relatives said that she complaint about swelling on her face since several days. Along with this there were other co-morbidities including high diabetes, thyroid, and heart disease. After which the left side of her face turned completely black for which she had to be operated.

Artificial face will be applied after six months:

Dr. Aggarwal said that after six months when the fungal infection will subside completely, surgeons will apply the artificial face, jaw and stone eye of silicon.

The treating experts said that this disease is affecting a part of the face along with the eye. Thus there remains no option in front of treating doctors other than removing the organ.

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