Black fungus detected in India’s Covid survivors

Cases of mucormycosis, commonly known as black fungus, have been reported among those who have recovered from Covid-19 in India. 

A hospital in Delhi, the epicentre of coronavirus in India, has reported the resurgence of deadly Covid-induced black fungal infections in patients, reported the Independent.

The number of such cases has increased in Gujarat also as the state sees an exponential rise in coronavirus infections.

At least eight persons were reported to have lost their eyesight in Surat, a commercial city of Gujarat, due to mucormycosis after recovering from Covid-19, India Today reported. 

They had to be admitted to hospitals for the sudden loss of vision. Surat has reported at least 40 cases of black fungus in last 15 days. 

These types of infections can cause loss of sight and can lead to corrective measures such as the amputation of the affected area. 

According to Delhi doctors patients who contract black fungus only have a 50% survival rate.

The cases of black fungus are being seen in more patients due to the fact that the numbers of Covid-19 cases are increasing, Dr Atul Gogia from Delhi’s Sir Ganga Ram Hospital told the Independent.

What is black fungus? 

According to the US Centre for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC), mucormycosis or black fungus is a rare fungal infection. But mucormycosis (previously called zygomycosis) is a serious infection caused by a group of molds or fungi called mucormycetes. 

These molds live throughout the environment.

It most commonly affects the sinuses or the lungs after inhaling fungal spores from the air. It can also occur on the skin after a cut, burn, or other type of skin injury.

When do symptoms appear?

The symptoms of black fungus appear two-three days after a person has recovered from the Covid-19 infection, India Today reported.

This fungal infection first occurs in the sinus after the patient is cured of Covid-19 and in about two-four days, it invades the eyes, ENT specialist Dr Sanket Shah of Kiran Hospital in Surat told India Today.

In the next 24 hours, the black fungus can travel up to the brain.

Some of the common symptoms are unilateral facial swelling, headache, nasal congestion, black lesion spots on the upper angle of mouth or nasal bridge, rashes on skin, blisters, or blackish skin.

India's total Covid-19 cases rose by over 400,000 for the fourth consecutive day on Sunday even as several states imposed strict lockdowns to curb the spread of the virus.

India's health ministry reported 4,092 fatalities over the past 24 hours, taking the overall death toll to 242,362. 

Cases rose by 403,738, increasing the total since the start of the pandemic to 22.3 million.