India has seen a surge in the number of cases of the ‘rare’ Black Fungus infection commonly known as mucormycosis which reportedly affects recovered and recovering COVID-19 patients with an excess of 88000 cases reported so far.
The disease has been reported in almost all states of India with western states of Gujarat and Maharashtra having more than a half of the confirmed cases. All 29 states of India have been instructed to declare the disease which turns the skin tissue black as an epidemic.
The disease is said to be highly pathogenic with mortality rate at 50%. It affects organs mostly sinuses, lungs and eyes most with 80% of its patients requiring surgery while some patients are saved only by removing an eye.
Anti fungal drugs especially Amphotericin are the ones being used to cure the disease which have run short of supply despite being made in India due to high demand. Medical experts warn that the mortality rate of the disease might run to as high 94% should it not be treated with care.
India saw a hike in the number of COVID-19 cases recently adding millions of cases in a few weeks due to the coming of B. 1. 617 variant that was first detected in India. Whereas the black Fungus Infection has been known to affect mostly diabetic patients, in India it has of recent started attacking COVID 19 survivors in big numbers.
People having the Black fungus infection are having symptoms of stuffy and bleeding nose; swelling of and pain in the eye; drooping of eyelids; and blurred and finally, loss of vision and also black patches of skin around the nose being common
Despite the Black Fungus Infection, doctors have also announced the discovery of the White Fungus Infection which is also on a rise in India and affecting also recovered COVID-19 patients..
