India Detects Nearly 9,000 Cases of Deadly “Black Fungus” in Coronavirus Patients

The India has registered an increase in the cases of murcomycosis, a strange and sometimes lethal infection that is popularly known as “black fungus”, with almost 9,000 incidences, and which has been detected in patients with very specific pathologies who have contracted the coronavirus covid-19, an official statement is required.

The Indian authorities so far detected a total of 8,848 cases of murcomycosis.

In view of this rapid increase, the central government is sending the drug amphotericin B to all affected states, announced the Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Sadanand Gowda, on his Twitter account.

Infections by murcomicosis, whose mortality is around 50%, are mainly concentrated in the western states of Gujarat and Maharashtra, where 2,281 and 2,000 infections have been diagnosed by the fungus respectively.

Precisely the coastal region of Maharashtra, whose capital is Bombay, has been the hardest hit by the virulence of the second wave of cases by covid-19 in the country, which despite the fact that the rate of infections follows a downward trend, almost 4,000 are reported daily.

The Indian health authorities released a couple of weeks ago, when a significant increase in cases was detected, information on the causes, diagnosis and treatment of the mucormicosis, that although it may appear in patients with coronavirus, is a pre-pandemic infection and is not directly related to the covid-19.

In addition, the doctor who specializes in infectious diseases Atul Patel pointed out to Efe that this fungal infection mainly affects “patients with uncontrolled diabetes or who have some complications from diabetes.”

“It is not something that everyone can get”, clarified the doctor, and added that, in this sense, “a determining factor that is also contributing to increase the incidence is the use of steroids for the treatment of infection by covid-19.”

Among the recommendations to prevent the appearance of this infection are to maintain proper hygiene and the use of a mask, or to protect the entire body when gardening work is done.