New Delhi: A rare but serious fungal infection, known as mucormycosis and colloquially as “black fungus”, is being detected relatively frequently among Covid-19 patients in some states.
With evidence mounting on a new fatal black fungal infection among Covid-19 survivors and infected patients, especially those with diabetes or kidney/heart failure history, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Sunday issued an advisory, urging people to look for the warning signs.
The disease has been observed more in Covid-19 recovered patients with comorbidities like diabetes and cancer.
Top experts say the best way to manage the black fungus is to control diabetes, reduce steroid use, discontinue immunomodulating drugs in Covid positive people and resort to surgical interventions to remove nose or tooth ulcers, a sign of black fungus.
Protection steps:
- Control high blood glucose
- Monitor blood glucose level post Covid-19 discharge
- Use steroids rationally under medical advice
- Use sterile water for humi-difiers during O2 therapy
- Use antibiotics and anti-fungals judiciously
- Do not consider black nose as bacterial sinusitis
“Mucormycosis is a fungal infection that mainly affects people who are on medication for other health problems that reduce their ability to fight environmental pathogens,” the ICMR explained. “If you have sinusitis, nasal discharge (black or bloody), pain on the cheek bone, one-sided facial pain, numbness or swelling, blackish discoloration over the bridge of nose, toothache, loosening of teeth, blurred or double vision with pain, fever, skin lesion, thrombosis, chest pain or worsening of respiratory symptoms, you should suspect mucormycosis and seek immediate help,” the advisory says.
What is the disease?
Although rare, it is a serious infection. It is caused by a group of moulds known as mucormycetes present naturally in the environment. It mainly affects people who are on medication for health problems that reduces their ability to fight environmental pathogens, say experts from the Covid-19 task force task force.
Sinuses or lungs of such individuals get affected after they inhale fungal spores from the air. Doctors in some states have noted a rise in cases of mucormycosis among people hospitalized or recovering from Covid 19, with some requiring urgent surgery. Usually, mucormycetes does not pose a major threat to those with a healthy immune system.
What happens when one contracts it?
Warning signs include pain and redness around the eyes or nose, with fever, headache, coughing, shortness of breath, bloody vomits, and altered mental status. According to the advisory, infection with mucormycetes should be suspected when there is:
* Sinusitis — nasal blockade or congestion, nasal discharge (blackish/bloody);
* Local pain on the cheek bone, one-sided facial pain, numbness or swelling;
* Blackish discoloration over bridge of nose/palate;
* Loosening of teeth, jaw involvement;
* Blurred or double vision with pain;
* Thrombosis, necrosis, skin lesion;
* Chest pain, pleural effusion, worsening of respiratory symptoms.
Experts advise that one should not count all cases of blocked nose as cases of bacterial sinusitis, particularly in the context of immunosuppression and/or Covid-19 patients on immunomodulators. Do not hesitate to seek aggressive investigations for detecting fungal infection, they advise.
