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‘Black Fungus’ Is Appearing in People with COVID-19: What to Know

We all are struggling to come out of the second phase of Covid-19. But have you heard of black-fungus, a rare infectious disease? Doctors have informed that most people recovered from Covid-19 have been noticed to have been attacked by black fungus.

What is this black fungus?

Black fungus is also called mucormycosis. The micromycetes, a group of molds who find soil and decaying organic matter as their home. This can be life-threatening as well. However, its mortality rate ranges between 46 to 96%.

Symptoms of mucormycosis 

  • The patient may suffer from headache, swelling in one side of the face, fever, and sinus congestion. This basically happens when infection makes its way into the brain and sinuses.
  • Abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea, and even gastrointestinal bleeding are also the symptoms of black fungus. Mucormycosis may also harm your entire digestive system.
  • If black fungus targets your lungs, shortness of breath, chest pain and cough are the possible symptoms.
  • Since the Covid patients lack immunity, they are more threatened by the black fungus. The inflammation in the sinus tract of Covid patients welcomes mucormycosis in the body.

It is recommendable to inhale or direct contact with mold spores. The mold spores are generally found in compost piles, and soil. Even you can find mold spores in rotten bread.

Remember that black fungus is not capable of spreading from one person to another.

Who should remain more alert of the spread of black fungus?

  1. According to many scientists, the patients of Covid-19 with diabetes undergone the treatment of steroid drugs are in danger of black fungus. They have a greater possibility to get affected by mucormycosis.
  2. The people who needed to accept chemotherapy or undergone increased use of steroid drugs get impacted by black fungus.

Treatment of mucormycosis:

  1. Antifungal agents like posaconazole, isavuconazole, and amphotericin B are useful in treating black fungus.
  2. In severe cases, doctors prefer to go for removing the infected parts of the body by surgery.

Are Covid-19 patients in danger of many opportunistic infections?

The immunity of covid virus is always struggling to fight with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. So they lack immunity for fighting with opportunity infections like black fungus.

Bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites are the main causes of opportunity infections.

  • Candida, a yeast causes Candidiasis, a fungal infection.
  • Aspergillus, a common mold often gets noticed in buildings and outdoors. It is the reason behind Aspergillosis infection.
  • Histoplasma, a fungus causes Histoplasmosis infection. This is very common in the central and eastern United states.

According to Cioe-Pena, not many Covid patients have not yet been attacked by aspergillosis infection.

Conclusion

Many people are still not aware of the consequences of mucormycosis, a rare opportunity infection. The trace of such fungus has been noticed in the body of many Indian Covid patients recovered from coronavirus. Continuous usage of steroid drugs for releif from Covid virus is one of the cause of opportunity infections. And the immune system have also got weaken due to non-stop fight with Covid virus.

Stay with us for more updates on Corona Pandemic and its related diseases.

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