NEW DELHI: Low immunity among people recovering from Covid-19, either due to infection or medications administered, is causing a unique crisis.
Doctors at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH), one of the city’s leading hospitals, say that many patients are developing mucormycosis, a rare but deadly fungal infection.
It has been the cause of death in patients who required a prolonged stay in the ICU. However, it is the rapid increase in the number of unsuspected recovering Covid-19 patients that is causing great concern, says SGRH.
“In the last 15 days, we have seen 13 cases of mucormycosis triggered by Covid-19. Five have died. At least three patients have suffered vision loss and have had to have their nose and jaw removed to prevent the infection from spreading. One of them is a 32-year-old man, ”said Dr. Manish Munjal, senior otolaryngologist surgeon. “Usually we see one to two cases of mucormycosis in a month,” he added.
Similar cases of mucormycosis have also been reported in recovered Covid-19 patients in hospitals in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
“The mainstay of Covid-19 treatment in patients with severe symptoms is the administration of steroids. We also administer drugs to suppress the immune system because infection can cause a cytokine storm in which the body begins to attack its own cells. However, this leaves patients at risk of developing opportunistic fungal infections. Mucormycosis is one of them ”, said the SGRH doctors.
They added that the fungal infection was mainly acquired in the hospital and was seen in admitted patients. “Early clinical suspicion of symptoms such as a blocked nose, swollen eyes or cheeks, and dry black crusts on the nose should immediately prompt a biopsy at the OPD and the initiation of antifungal therapy as soon as possible.” said Dr. Varun Rai, consultant otolaryngologist surgeon at HRMS.
Mucormycosis presents primarily as a sinus infection that is accompanied by nasal congestion, runny nose, and sinus pain. Fever and headache can also occur. Doctors say the infection spreads in the tissues and causes the disintegration of the thin wall of cartilage and bone that divides the nostrils among others.
According to the National Organization for Rare Diseases (NORD), there is sometimes a bluish discoloration of the skin near the sinuses or the eye socket due to lack of oxygen. “If not recognized and untreated, significant tissue death (necrosis) can occur and the infection can significantly damage facial structures. It can also affect the brain, ”says NORD.
The only available treatment for mucormycosis is antifungal medication and treatment of symptoms. Despite that, doctors claim that 50% of patients succumb.
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