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Explained: ?Black fungus? in Covid patients
Mucormycosis, a serious fungal infection but otherwise rare, has been observed in a number of Covid-19 patients recently. While there is no major outbreak, the national Covid task force has issued an advisory.
Written by Anuradha Mascarenhas | Pune |
Updated: May 10, 2021 7:12:04 am
Mucormycosis is caused by mucormycetes that generally attacks a diabetic person with low immunity. For a year, even normally healthy patients are reporting this infection post Covid. (Express Photo by Amit Mehra)
A rare but serious fungal infection, known as mucormycosis and colloquially as ?black fungus?, is being detected relatively frequently among Covid-19 patients in some states. The disease often manifests in the skin and also affects the lungs and the brain. With a number of mucormycosis cases detected in Delhi, Maharashtra and Gujarat, experts in the national Covid-19 task force on Sunday issued an evidence-based advisory on the disease.
What is the disease?
Although rare, it is a serious infection. It is caused by a group of moulds known as mucormycetes present naturally in the environment. It mainly affects people who are on medication for health problems that reduces their ability to fight environmental pathogens, say experts from the Covid-19 task force task force.
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