NEW DELHI: Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH) received six to eight cases of mucormycosis annually. This year, in the last four months itself, the hospital said it has got nearly 175 cases of the deadly fungal infection.
All these patients had a history of Covid-19.
“Nearly 121 patients (69%) required nasal and sinus surgery, while 26 (15%) needed removing the eye to prevent the spread of infection to the nervous system,” Dr A K Grover, chairman of the department of ophthalmology, SGRH told TOI.
He added that 102 patients (58%) had been discharged, while around 38 others (approximately 22% of the total cases) died. “The mortality has been low at our hospital by international standards due to very meticulous care,” Dr Grover said.
Mucormycosis (often called black fungus, which is a misnomer) is a fungal infection that spreads through the inhalation of spores from the environment, such as in soil or vegetation. Once inside, it can cause blood clots and tissue deaths.
The infection affects air sinuses surrounding nose, eyes and the cavity behind the eyes called orbit and brain. It is, therefore, called Rhino Orbito Cerebral Mucormycosis (ROCM). The doctor said mucormycosis was not a new disease entity but had only emerged fast due to Covid-19.
He added that they got 31 patients of ROCM, predominantly men in their 50s and 60s, during the first wave of the pandemic. Four of them died because of the extensive spread of the disease in the brain/body. “In the second wave, the disease became rampant across the country. We also received over 175 patients, of whom around 22% succumbed to the disease,” he added.
Public education about the disease is extremely important for early diagnosis and management. Also, easy availability of anti-fungal medications, such as Liposomal Amphotericin B, needs to be ensured to save lives, doctors said.
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