AHMEDABAD: An 80-year-old man from Ahmedabad who had recovered from coronavirus allegedly committed suicide out of fear of contracting the mucormycosis infection, police said on Monday.
Mucormycosis, also known as the black fungus, is a serious infection which has been found in several COVID-19 patients in various states.
According to police, the victim used to live with his wife at the Aman Apartments in Paldi area of the city.
He allegedly consumed a pesticide on the terrace of his apartment on Thursday and died at a private hospital on Saturday, Paldi police station's inspector J M Solanki said.
The man contracted COVID-19 some time back and had recovered. He was not diagnosed with mucorycosis, but he developed a fear for it after he got mouth sores, he said.
The victim also left behind a suicide note in which he mentioned the reason behind his extreme step and expressed fear that he may suffer due to mucormycosis as he had just recovered from COVID-19 and also had diabetes.
"The man was scared as he learnt that the black fungus mostly targets those who had contracted coronavirus and people having diabetes. He also mentioned (in the suicide note) that the treatment may not yield any result and he would suffer due to that infection in future," Solanki said, based on the suicide note and statements of his family members.
The victim was from a well-off family and his fear was more psychological than about his financial condition and the ability to pay for the treatment, the official said.
"Since he had developed some mouth sores, he was under the notion that he had contracted mucormycosis and may not recover from it. He went to the terrace of his apartment on Thursday and consumed a pesticide to end his life," he said.
The police have registered an accidental death report and are conducting further probe into the incident, he added.