'Rare fungal infection' being reported in some patients post COVID-19 recovery

The ENT and Eye team at Sir Ganga Ram have had to do resections procedure in about 10 patients over the last fortnight, with about 50 per cent losing their eyesight permanently. 
People being checked by thermal device at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in the wake of coronavirus pandemic in New Delhi. (Photo | Anil Shakya, EPS)
People being checked by thermal device at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in the wake of coronavirus pandemic in New Delhi. (Photo | Anil Shakya, EPS)

NEW DELHI: Mucormycosis, a fungal infection whose mortality rate is as high as 50 per cent when it affects the brain, was noticed in more than a dozen patients within a fortnight of their recovery from Covid, claimed Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi.

The ENT and Eye team at Sir Ganga Ram have had to do resections procedure in about 10 patients over the last fortnight, with about 50 per cent losing their eyesight permanently. 

Five of these patients required critical care support, due to other associated complications. 

So far, there also have been five unfortunate mortalities in this subgroup, according to the official version of Ganga Ram Hospital. 

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As per the experts, Covid-19 patients are more susceptible to this virus, adding that it is there in the air. 

They say that it is a ubiquitous fungus and is present in the plant, animal and air but it is attacking patients, who have recovered from Covid, because they have been given steroids and have co-morbidities, which makes it even worse.

“This fungus comes into the body and destroys the part where it is coming. The post covid patients are given a large dose of steroids to decrease the Cytokine storm it allows opportunistic fungal infections like deadly Mucormycosis to enter the body and travel through the nose root to the eyes and brain and if undetected it can lead to the death of over 50 per cent cases in a matter of days.”

“Also, it can lead to huge loss of medical morbidities like loss of the eyes, jaw bones and cosmetic disfigurement,” said Dr Manish Munjal, Senior ENT surgeon at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.

Most of these patients are complaining about breathlessness, mild exertion, weakness, and fatigue.

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