Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – A disease called mucormycosis or exposure to black mold has infected Covid-19 patients in India. This disease can even be life-threatening for people with diabetes or people with severe immune disorders such as cancer or HIV/Aids.
Exposure to this black fungus is usually found in soil, plants, manure, and rotting fruit and vegetables. “It is ubiquitous and is found in soil and air and even in the nose and mucus of healthy people,” said Mumbai India ophthalmologist Dr. Akshay Nair, quoted from the BBC, Wednesday (28/7/2021).
Doctors believe mucormycosis has a 50% mortality rate. Possibly triggered by the use of steroids, treatment for severe and critically ill Covid-19 patients.
Steroids can reduce inflammation in the lungs for Covid-19 as well as help stop some of the damage when the immune system overworks to fight the coronavirus. But it has also been shown to reduce immunity and increase blood sugar levels, including for diabetics and non-diabetics with Covid-19.
“Diabetes lowers the body’s immune defenses, Corona makes it worse and Steroids help fight Covid-19 which acts like fuel for a fire,” Nair said.
Nair, who works in three hospitals in Mumbai, said in April he saw 40 patients with black fungus infections. Many of the patients were diabetics who recovered from Covid-19 and 11 had to have their eyes removed.
While in December to February, six colleagues in five cities namely Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi and Pune reported 58 cases of infection. Many patients are infected 12-15 days after recovering from Covid-19.
Doctors were shocked by the severity and frequency of fungal infections when the second wave of the pandemic hit India some time ago. During the first wave last year, only a few cases were found.
Nair said in the past two years there were no more than 10 cases related to the infection in Mumbai. “This year is different,” he said.
Unfortunately the patient with this infection came too late. So he had lost his sight and the doctor had to remove the eye to stop the infection from getting to the brain.
In some cases, patients lose vision in both eyes. Meanwhile, in rare cases, doctors have to remove the jawbone as a way to stop the spread of the disease.
To date only intravenous injections of antifungal agents are effective against the disease. But the price is US $ 48 per dose or Rp. 696 thousand.
Dr. Rahul Baxi, a diabetes expert in Mumbai, said one way to stop yeast infections is to make sure Covid-19 patients are given the right dose and duration of steroid treatment.
“Doctors must maintain blood sugar levels after patients go home,” he said.
Symptoms of Mucormycosis in Black Fungus
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC in the United States also share information on the symptoms that appear in this infection.
For people with rhinocerebral mucormycosis (sinuses and brain), there are five visible symptoms. Starting from swelling of the face on one side, headaches, nasal or sinus congestion.
There are black lesions on the bridge of the nose or upper mouth that quickly become severe. Then also this patient will have a fever.
While in pulmonary mucormycosis (lungs) there are symptoms of fever, cough, chest pain, and shortness of breath.
There is also mucormycosis of the skin which has symptoms such as blisters or ulcers and the infected area turns black. In addition, around the wound there is pain, warmth, excessive redness or swelling.
For gastrointestinal mucormycosis symptoms include abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, and gastrointestinal bleeding. Meanwhile, disseminated mucormycosis attacks people who are sick because other medical conditions make it difficult to know the symptoms.
However, disseminated infection in the brain can lead to changes in mental status or to coma.
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