New Delhi: Delhi's Sir Ganga Ram Hospital has reported several cases of a rare fungal infection which was noticed over 10 patients within 15 days of their recovery from Coronavirus.
According to medical experts, the black fungus is known as Mucormycosis, which can kill half the patients and lead to loss of vision or jaw in others.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, Senior ENT Surgeon Doctor Manish Munjal, who is working on this research paper,' post covid complex and fungal infection', said that Mucormycosis 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 infection is very deadly. Due to this infection, the eyesight goes away. In the last 15 days, 13 such cases have been reported in Ganga Ram Hospital. Due to infection, the patient's nose and jawbones had to be pulled out. The death rate of this fungal infection is 50 per cent. If this infection reaches the eye or brain, the patient will die," said Dr Munjal.
"Most of these patients are complaining about breathlessness, mild exertion, weakness, and fatigue. This type of infection has never been exposed to such a dangerous form, but it is coming out as a common infection among people who recovers from corona infection," Dr Munjal said.
A 32-year-old businessman, Rajesh hailing from West Delhi was diagnosed with Covid-19 His fever did not break for four days and he started getting excessive cough and breathing difficulty. He was admitted to a hospital and was given antiviral drugs, steroids, oxygen and other supplements. He was discharged after seven days.
He returned to the hospital with a nagging left-side nose obstruction and eye swelling. He did not respond to antibiotics and pain killers and started losing vision rapidly on the affected side. The entire left side of the face had become numb. His tests revealed that he had Mucormycosis.
Reportedly, Sir Ganga Ram hospital has seen 13 cases of Mucormycosis in the last 15 days in patients who either had Covid-19 or had recently recovered from it.
