Increased cases of rare, yet deadly fungal infection Mucormycosis blamed on Covid-19, fatality rate could be as high as 20 per cent.

Doctors have warned the citizens, who have recovered from Covid-19, about a fungal infection “Mucormycosis” after a hospital in Delhi reported 13 such cases. Mucormycosis occurs when a person’s immunity is deteriorated owing to some condition or ailments much like Covid-19.

Doctors of a private hospital said the fungal infection has severely affected the eyesight, nose and jaw bone removal. So far, five people recorded to have died of the Mucormycosis. The cases of Mucormycosis triggered by Covid-19 are coming in at an alarming rate, but the biggest worrying fact is the high mortality rate due to the infection.

According to the Centre for Diseases Control and Prevention, ” Mucormycosis (previously called zygomycosis) is a serious but rare fungal infection caused by a group of molds called mucormycetes. These molds live throughout the environment. Mucormycosis mainly affects people who have health problems or take medicines that lower the body’s ability to fight germs and sickness. It most commonly affects the sinuses or the lungs after inhaling fungal spores from the air, or the skin after the fungus enters the skin through a cut, burn, or other type of skin injury. However, it can occur in nearly any part of the body.”

The symptoms of mucormycosis depend on where in the body the fungus is growing

Symptoms of rhinocerebral (sinus and brain) mucormycosis include:

• One-sided facial swelling
• Headache
• Nasal or sinus congestion
• Black lesions on nasal bridge or upper inside of the mouth that quickly become more severe
• Fever

Symptoms of pulmonary (lung) mucormycosis include:

• Fever
• Cough
• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath

Cutaneous (skin) mucormycosis can look like blisters or ulcers, and the infected area may turn black. Other symptoms include pain, warmth, excessive redness, or swelling around a wound.

Symptoms of gastrointestinal mucormycosis include:

• Abdominal pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• Gastrointestinal bleeding

Disseminated mucormycosis typically occurs in people who are already sick from other medical conditions, so it can be difficult to know which symptoms are related to mucormycosis. Patients with disseminated infection in the brain can developmental status changes or coma,” CDC reports.

Any one showing symptoms as mentioned above are advised to immediately consult to a physician.

Reports of Mucormycosis have been reported from Ahmedabad with around 45 cases, out of which nine patients died. The mortality rate could be as high as 20 per cent. The mortality, however, could be reduced with timely diagnosis and treatment. Some cases of Mucormycosis were also reported from Mumbai.