What is Black fungus: Mucormycosis Covid Symptoms, Treatment
Mucormycosis is a deadly fungal infection that has been found in Covid-19 affected patients due to uncontrolled diabetes and prolonged intensive care unit (ICU) stay. The infection is also called ‘Black Fungus’. Black Fungus directly harms the brain and the lungs.
Mucormycosis Covid Symptoms
- Pain and redness around eyes and/or nose
- Fever
- Headache
- Coughing
- Shortness of breath
- Bloody vomits
- Altered mental status
What predisposes
- Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus
- Immunosuppression by steroids
- Prolonged ICU stays
- Co-morbidities – post-transplant/malignancy
- Voriconazole therapy
How to prevent Black fungus
- Wear masks
- Wear shoes, long trousers, long-sleeved shirts and gloves
- Should Maintain personal hygiene
Do this
- Control hyperglycemia
- Monitor blood glucose level after COVID-19 recovery and also in diabetics
- Use steroid judiciously – correct timing, correct dose and duration
- Use clean, sterile water for humidifiers during oxygen therapy
- Use antibiotics/antifungals judiciously
Don’t do this
- Do not miss warning signs and symptoms
- Do not consider all the cases with a blocked nose as cases of bacterial sinusitis, particularly in the context of immunosuppression and/or COVID-19 patients on immunomodulators
- Do not hesitate to seek aggressive investigations, as appropriate (KOH staining & microscopy, culture, MALDITOF), for detecting fungal aetiology
- Do not lose crucial time to initiate treatment for mucormycosis
Evidence-Based Advisory in the Time of COVID-19 (Screening, Diagnosis & Management of Mucormycosis): Click Here