India is facing new challenges as its battle with Covid-19 is becoming more difficult as days are passing. According to reports, the possibility of a new outbreak is on the horizon. A rare and deadly black fungal infection called Mucormycosis has been found in patients recovering from Covid-19. For the last couple of weeks, Delhi’s Sir Ganga Ram hospital has reported at least 10 such cases. Several other cities have also reported a similar situation.
Reportedly, if this fungus is not detected early it can lead a patient to loss of sight or jaws and can kill half the patient as it can affect any part of the body. It can enter through inhaling and affect lungs and sinus, and can also enter via a burn or wound. This fungus mainly affects people with low immunity and health problems.
As Covid-19 compromises the patient’s immunity, Mucormycosis finds an opportunity to enter their body distressing their system even further. According to several doctors, the infection’s spread depends on the patient’s immune system. The symptoms of Mucormycosis are swelling in one side of the face, nasal or sinus congestion, headache, and fever.
With Covid-19 still surging in several states, the country is on the verge of approving and providing vaccines. However, India has gained an unwanted milestone, as the country recorded one crore Covid-19 cases.
Despite the number of cases slowly reducing across the country in the past few weeks, India still managed to reach this point, and we are second only to the United States. However, what is working well in India’s favour are the high number of recoveries and fewer deaths. Currently, India has reported over 95 lakh recoveries and over 145,000 deaths. If Mucormycosis becomes an outbreak, India will have another large-scale health battle to fight.
