A serious and rare fungal infection also known as ‘Mucormycosis’ affecting the respiratory system and digestive system along with the brain is on the rise in these recent months. It is especially seen among the immune-compromised COVID-19 patients who have recovered from it.

According to the experts, from hardly five to seven cases in a year of the fungal infection, the number of these cases has soared to more than 60 cases in the last seven to eight months. Out of these, 10 cases were seen at the state-run Gandhi hospital in Hyderabad alone as many patients who were treated are coming back with post COVID-19 complications along with this infection.

Though, the infection is rare but serious and can lead to death if it is not treated in time. Dr M Raja Ram, superintendent of Gandhi Hospital, said that the infection is an opportunistic one and is mostly seen in immune-compromised patients. It is especially seen in transplant patients or on cancer-related drugs. He further said that they observe this infection in patients recovered from viral diseases and as COVID-19 is also a viral disease. It is also seen in the COVID-19 recovered patients. In the last seven to eight months, they have seen approximately 10 patients at their hospital. He also added that most of the patients who had developed this infection were diabetics.

Dr Meghna Reddy, consultant pulmonologist in Medicover hospitals said that the pulmonary manifestations of the coronavirus infection include symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath and fever and in Rhino-orbital infection, the symptoms are headache, swelling of the eyes, unilateral nasal discharge and numbness of the face. It can manifest itself as pulmonary Mucormycosis or rhino-orbital-cerebral Mucormycosis. It mostly occurs in patients with diabetes, however the use of corticosteroid treatment in COVID-19 creates a perfect environment for these fungal infections.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, they used to treat hardly three to four cases per year, but nowadays almost 60 cases are reported in the city.

Source: ET Healthworld