Understanding mucormycosis

According to health bulletin, state has recorded 8,336 deaths since May 1

THE ORGANISM THE CURRENT OUTBREAK It is an infection by fungal organisms known as mucormycetes, which can enter the body through breathing or skin injuries These organisms are typically in abundance in a country like India, and particularly in soil and decaying organic material such as fruit and vegetables but a normally functioning immune system typically fights it off The spike at present appears to be a fallout of incorrect Covid-19 treatment or overuse of some drugs. Cheap steroid medications used to calm an exaggerated inflammatory response to the coronavirus appears to be the prime trigger, with high prevalence of diabetes making it worse According to ICMR D-G Balram Bhargava, the fungus thrives on high sugar, making Covid-19 patients with uncontrolled diabetes particularly vulnerable Inadequate infection control in hospitals also risks exposing Covid patients to secondary bacterial and fungal infections THE DISEASE THE TREATMENT A mucormycosis infection is often called "black fungus" since it causes blackening or discolouration over the nose It is often accompanied with blurred or double vision, chest pain, breathing difficulties and coughing blood, as it infects sinus cavities and can even go up to the brain According to the US Centers for Disease Control, mucormycosis has a fatality rate of around 54%, which tends to be higher if someone had a respiratory illness It is usually treated with antifungal medicine such as Amphotericin B, posaconazole, or isavuconazole. If it has spread significantly, mucormycosis requires surgery to cut away the infected tissue, a process known as debridement – which in some cases require removal of the eyes or large parts of tissues l