May 11, 2021 12:30:00

What is 'Mucorosis', which is increasing in infection among patients with new corona in India?

In India, where more than 360,000 new coronavirus infections are confirmed per day, some patients with coronavirus infection (COVID-19) also develop an infection called 'mucor disease'. It is clear that there is.

Potentially fatal'black fungus' infections on the rise in India's COVID-19 patients | Live Science
https://www.livescience.com/black-fungus-infection-coronavirus-india.html

In the midst of the COVID pandemic, India is battling a surge of mucormycosis, or'black fungus' --ABC News
https://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2021-05-10/covid-19-explainer-india-black-fungus-mucormycosis/100127850

Mucor disease is an infectious disease caused by a fungus called Mucor fungus that rots organic matter such as leaves and wood. According to Akshay Nea , an ophthalmologist based in Mumbai, India, 'Mukor bacteria are ubiquitous and are also present in soil, air, and the nose and mucus of healthy people.' is.

Mucor bacteria invade the body through cuts and other abrasions on the skin, or from the air, and settle in the sinuses and lungs. Mucor bacteria that have invaded the body can spread through the bloodstream and affect organs such as the brain, eyes, spleen, and heart.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), mucor disease generally infects 'people with a weakened immune system' who are taking drugs that suppress immune activity such as diabetes. Many people in India are infected with COVID-19, but at the same time, cases of zygomycosis are increasing.

In Maharashtra, Mumbai, local media reports that 200 people who recovered from COVID-19 were infected with zygomycosis and eight died. Similarly, as the number of patients with zygomycosis is increasing in the capitals of Delhi and Gujarat, the provincial government is said to have ordered

5,000 doses of the antifungal drug Amphotericin B to treat zygomycosis.

VK Paul, head of the COVID-19 Task Force in India, said in a press conference, 'In some areas, people infected with COVID-19 or who have recovered from COVID-19 suffer from zygomycosis. I've heard that there are many cases of infection, 'he said.

BBC News reports that the increasing number of people infected with mucor disease in India may be due to the fact that COVID-19 patients are being given drugs that suppress the immune system, such as steroids. 'Diabetes reduces the body's immune system, and the new coronavirus makes it worse, and steroids that help fight COVID-19 act like fuel to the immune system,' Nea said. He pointed out that taking steroids would significantly reduce the immune system.

In April 2021, Mr. Nea examined dozens of patients with zygomycosis, all of whom had diabetes. He also said that 11 patients infected with Mucor disease had to surgically remove their eyes because Mucor bacteria easily spread from the eyes to the brain.