With an approximate 22.5 million total cases of Covid-19 and only one doctor per 1,456 people (According to the Indian’s government healthcare policy press release of 2018-2019), the Republic of India is struggling to contain the pandemic with a faulty and crashing public health system. Amidst a prosperous 21.6 million recoveries, doctor’s are worried a new challenge has arisen; a rash of black fungus -scientifically known as mucormycosis- among tens of thousands of both the recovered and infected in big cities such as Gujarat, Delhi and Maharashtra. With almost a 50% mortality rate, this disease terrorizes the country.
According to Dr K. K. Handa (Chairman - ENT and Head Neck Surgery, Medanta Gurugram) “It is a fungal infection. It is a bad dreaded fungus and unless it’s diagnosed early, risks are high. What happens is the spores of the fungus reach the host more so in vulnerable post-covid patients, during covid, uncontrolled diabetes, or are immunocompromised for some other reason. Once they reach the sinuses and if left untreated, it can reach the eyeball and intracranially reach the brain.”
The International Federation of Diabetes Atlas estimates one in six citizens have a chronic disease, especially diabetes and its high prevalence due to lack of routine screening. This vulnerability is also increased because of the common treatment of coronavirus typically used in India when oxygen becomes a scarce source; steroids. This dangerous yet vitalizing treatment can trigger this fungus expansion. Whilst the correct amount at the correct time can save a life, abusive amounts for long periods because of no medical supervision, can end it.
This rising threat is only increased by Indian’s poor public health care management and facilities, as poor hygiene and sanitation compromises whole sites with external fungal. This fungus is a serious but rare infection caused by moulds called mucormycetes. They live throughout the environment, normally found in soil and dead vegetable or animal matter. Even fallen leaves may contain it, but a regular immunological system is capable of battling it. Sadly, this is not the reality nowadays. An abnormally large number of individuals with low immunological strength will have an arduous fight against this black fungus infection.
The closest thing to a solution is no other than education. Self-medicating has been a long threat to covid and has become even more dangerous. Likewise, uncontrolled diabetes with a setting of covid is the perfect cocktail for fungus, so it’s important to understand the symptoms. Nasal sinus congestion, swelling in one side of the face, black lesions on the nose bridge or upper palate of the mouth, and fever, are the most common red flags. If it gets to your eyes, you will experience swelling, bulging, blurry vision and watery eyeballs.
Happily, no other case outside India has occurred, but in Europe, South America and the United States, other fungal infections arise. This is where Aspergillosis arrives, even though it is not as life-threatening as mucormycosis as according to the CDC, it must not be left unnoticed. Regardless, the U.S states it's not a matter of urgency as they are still fairly rare. “It’s still uncommon and we don’t know the true impact it’s going to have” - Angarone states.
"It's through COVID-19," said Cornely (german professor of invasive fungal infections), "that illnesses that are otherwise rare are coming more to the fore now, and mucormycosis is just one of them."
Camila García
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