Why the Deadly Black Fungus Is Ravaging COVID Patients in India | DW News

India seems to be past the peak of its second COVID-19 wave, but the country is now fighting another crisis – those recovering from COVID19 seem to be more vulnerable to dangerous fungal infections. The black fungus, a deadly but once rare disease, has now been declared an epidemic in several Indian states.

‘Black Fungus’ Disease Linked to Covid Spreads across India

THE GUARDIAN: 7,200 mucormycosis cases reported, usually in patients with diabetes or compromised immune systems

States across India have begun declaring a “black fungus” epidemic as cases of the fatal rare infection shoot up in patients recovering from Covid-19.

The fungal disease, called mucormycosis, has a 50% mortality rate. It affects patients initially in the nose but the fungus can then spread into the brain, and can often only be treated by major surgery removing the eye or part of skull and jaw.

It is usually a rare disease, but more than 7,200 people in India have now been reported with mucormycosis and 219 have lost their lives. The rise in black fungus infections, mostly in patients who had severe cases of Covid-19, has been linked to an overuse of steroids in the treatment of the coronavirus, which can acutely compromise the immune system if taken over a prolonged period. The high incidence of diabetes in India has also been blamed, with high blood sugar levels linked to susceptibility. India has the second highest rate of diabetes in the world.

It has also been reported in Covid patients who were on ventilators in intensive care units, due to their airways being exposed to humidity and moisture. » | Hannah Ellis-Petersen in Delhi | Friday, May 21, 2021

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