One more awful report coming in amid surging coronavirus cases. Another deadly ailment named Mucormycosis has snatched lives, mostly seen across the COVID-19 recovered patients.
The illness has already spread its hoof in Gujarat, Delhi and Pune resulting in the loss of eyesight of many.
WHAT IS MUCORMYCOSIS?
Mucormycosis is a sort of fungal infection, well known as Black fungus. The fungus enters the body through the gust or a wound on the skin. The infection is prone to spread in the lungs, skin, and brain.
The deadly fungus until now is distinguished for taking eyesight. Where in other cases it is noticed that the jaw and nose bones are impacted on.
HOW THE INFECTION HAPPENS?
Once the patient recovers from COVID-19, this fungus implicates the sinus. From the sinus, it takes around 2 to 4 days to reach to the eyes. And to more concern, it takes merely a day to reach from eyes to the human brain. In such cases, to prevent the fungus from further being spread, eyes are evacuated.
HOW DREADFUL THIS FUNGUS IS?
Thereupon a person is infected with the illness, in 20%-30% cases person loses his eyesight and to halt the spread to the brain, as a precautious measure eyes are taken off. Although the mortality rate sets a bar high up to 50%. To detect the fungus, one has to go through medical treatments like CT scan, Endoscopy or Biopsy.
WHY DOES IT TURN TO BE MORE DREADFUL AFTER BEING CORONA POSITIVE?
As it is well known, once a person is coronavirus affected the immunity level goes down to a level unimagined and therefore a body with low immunity grabs the infection much sooner. As per the reports, comorbid patients with diabetes, kidney ailments, heart attack and cancer patients are more easily trapped. The patients who are provided steroids as a treatment tool of coronavirus is also affected to a great extent.
HOW CAN THE FUNGAL INFECTION BE TREATED?
Amphotericin-B injection is the main treatment tool to fight against this infection. This drug is provided to the patient as per his/her weight (5mg per Kg). But as these injections face a shortage, doctors most of the times prescribe Anti-fungal tablets and lipid emulsions.
A case of this infection requires more than 1 doctor team such as an Infection disease expert, ENT Surgeon, Maxillofacial surgeon, ophthalmologist, and Neurologist. With an intense treatment taking long to recover approximately the cost sums up around INR 5 lakhs to INR 30 lakhs.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?
- Eyes and cheeks get bulged
- Eye burns
- Blurred vision
- Nose get choked
- Accumulation of black crust in nose walls
- Black spots over the nose
- Severe headache
- Sinus
- Cough
- The problem in inhaling and exhaling
These major symptoms are seen in the patients getting affected with the black fungus infection.
WHAT PRECAUTIONS SHOULD A COVID-19 RECOVERED TAKE?
The person observing severe headache with eye burns and turning red or water appearing out of it often or the eye movements are not going decent, he/she must visit the doctor at the earliest.
The deadly fungus is right now sighted in hospitals of Ahmedabad, Delhi and Pune amid the surging cases of the Chinese virus. However, it suits each individual to follow COVID-19 protocols and medications to fight against these maladies.
[author title=”Shreya Gohel” image=”http://localhost/gc2/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/20210127_014031.jpg”]Intern, Goa Chronicle[/author]
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