A study by the DBT National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS) and BJ Government Medical College study has found Covid-19 infection can alter nasal and gut microbiomes and lead to an increase in two known opportunistic pathogenic fungi in the nasal cavity and a decrease in some other fungi that promote immunity and other health benefits.

Dr Avinash Sharma, NCCS scientist who led the study, said that two species that may experience an increase are typical allergens in people that are present both indoors and outdoors. He claimed that populations of another fungus, Aspergillus, were declining in all research age groups. However, an abundance of Candida was discovered to be more prevalent in patients in an older age group.

According to Dr. Sharma′s investigation, mutual fungus depletion in Covid patients may prevent them from performing their beneficial roles in the body. Scientists hypothesize that a person′s decreased immunity is one of the causes of the changed microbial and fungal communities in Covid patients. Fungi greatly influence the respiratory system and cause persistent infections in humans. Most Covid-related microbiome studies have neglected the significance of fungi in favor of understanding the role of bacteria in SARS-CoV-2. While fungi have a part to play in the immune response, covid entails an imbalanced immune response and decreased immunity during acute sickness. Since there has been a surge in Covid-associated mucormycosis in recent years, it is crucial to do fungal profiling of SARS-CoV-2 infected patients.

Even though the study only examined 89 nasopharyngeal swabs taken from Covid patients, its findings aligned with other studies linking Covid-19 to the gut′s disruption of beneficial fungus and bacteria species.

(Source: https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/diagnostics/pune-covid-boosts-harmful-fungi-in-human-body-reveals-study/95072940)