Bhubaneswar

Black Fungus In Co-Morbid COVID Patients; Know Symptoms & Care

Bhubaneswar: Amidst the surge in COVID-19 cases, doctors in the capital city have alerted people about mucormycosis or black fungus infection.

The disease was also reported in patients in the capital city after Delhi, Maharashtra and Gujarat, leading to fear among the patients.

Informing about the infectious disease Dr Niroj Mishra of a private hospital in Bhubaneswar said COVID patients with diabetics or those on long-term steroid or in ICU for long periods are vulnerable to it.

Stating that though mucormycosis is very rare, the number of cases is rising because of the pandemic.

Warning symptoms

Redness and swelling in eyes and nose, blood or black discharge from the nose are primary symptoms of mucormycosis.

If ignored, it might spread to the lungs and brain, and cause difficulties in breathing.

Timely treatment and care can help in curing a person of the disease which is not contagious, Dr Mishra added.

The national Covid task force has issued an advisory for the disease:

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, stated reports in The New Indian Express.

However, one should not hesitate from seeking aggressive investigations for detecting fungal infection, the team advised.

Care to be followed: Those who have recovered from COVID must avoid exposure to soil as black fungus infection is caused by fungi found in the soil. As COVID patients who are diabetic are more susceptible to it, they should wear mask, full shirt and trousers to avoid exposure to soil, Mishra suggested.

Wearing gloves and maintaining personal hygiene, including a thorough scrub bath are the other precautions to be followed by such patients, he added.

Above all strict monitoring of sugar levels, rational use of steroids and proper planning of other medication in co-morbid patients should be the strategy, experts added.