What is Causing Black Fungal Infection in Certain Covid Survivors?

Over the past few days, we’ve been reading a lot of reports of a rare but fatal fungal infection that is being detected amongst Covid survivors and recovering Covid patients.

Mucormycosis or the Black Fungal infection is said to spread rapidly through the sinuses and lungs leading to a loss of eye sight and in certain instances even affecting brain functions.

Sri Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi reported at least six cases of the Black Fungal infection on 6 May. Two days later on 8 May, Maharashtra reported that 200 such patients were being treated in the state, amongst whom at least 8 people have lost their lives.

In Gujarat which has at least 100 reported cases of mucormycosis as of now, the state government has announced separate wards in Covid hospitals to treat such patients.

While this sudden upsurge in cases of the infection is raising alarms, doctors say that it's not a new infection at all. Although it’s not a very commonly occurring one, black fungal infections have been detected amongst immunodeficient patients mostly but what seems to be triggering this infection amongst certain Covid survivors now, is an injudicious or perhaps untimely use of steroids that are being used to treat coronavirus.

How exactly are steroids causing this infection? Which Covid patients are vulnerable and what symptoms do we need to watch out for in recovering Covid patients? 

Host and Producer: Shorbori Purkayastha

Guest: Dr Aparna Mahajan, ENT Consultant at Fortis Hospital, Faridabad

Editor: Shelly Walia

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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