ONE MORE DIES OF BLACK FUNGUS IN LUCKNOW

LUCKNOW: A 58-year-old man suffering from black fungus (mucormycosis) died during treatment at a private hospital in Lucknow on Sunday evening even as at least 27 other such patients are taking treatment at different hospitals in the state capital, along with 14 others, who are being treated in the OPD.

“This man was admitted to our hospital on May 10. He died on Sunday evening. The patient was resident of Sahara Estate. He died because of multiple post Covid complications out of which one also was mucormycosis (black fungus),” said Dr Farookh Ansari, medical director, Chandan hospital where the patient was taking treatment. “We have done more than 10 successful surgeries of suspected Mucormycosis in the last one week,” said Dr Ansari.

This is second such death reported in the state capital while one death of a patient suffering with black fungus has been reported from Meerut and two from Kanpur. Hospitals in Meerut have reported 13 black fungus cases till now and the patients here were referred from Saharanpur, Bijnor and Hapur. Three patients in Kanpur are under treatment at Hallett Hospital and four others in other hospitals.

In Varanasi, 7 patients have been reported. “We got several samples from the department of ENT and 7 were diagnosed with black fungus,” said a senior professor with department of microbiology at the Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi.

Doctor said Covid patients with history of diabetes are particularly at risk with black fungus and those recovering in home isolation from Covid are at least risk.

“Black fungus is a risk for those Covid patients who have a history of diabetes and are spending long time in hospital for recovery. Any other comorbidity is also a risk factor,” said Dr Suryakant, head of department, respiratory medicine, at the King George’s Medical University.