As a deadly ‘second wave’ wreaks havoc in India, doctors report a spike in cases of rare infection, called the ‘black fungus’, among recovering and recovered Covid-19 patients. Mucormycosis is a very rare infection. It is caused by exposure to mucor mold which is commonly found in soil, plants, manure, and decaying fruits and vegetables.
What Happened: The health minister of Maharashtra, Rajesh Tope, reported there 1,500 cases of infection in the state, the area most affected by the lethal Covid019 second wave. One hospital in its capital, Mumbai, reported 24 cases in two months, as opposed to six for the entirety of last year. Doctors have been forced to remove people’s eyes and other body parts to halt the spread of infection lest it travels to the entire body and renders it permanently disfigured. On Thursday, Health Ministry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal appealed to India’s 29 states to declare an epidemic. Many Indian states heeded the call.
Deputy Chief Minister C N Ashwath Narayan too said #blackfungus cases must be brought to the notice of the government authorities, as it is a notifiable disease.#Karnataka #Covid19https://t.co/X8N99kJRZh
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) May 21, 2021
#COVID19 | After Rajasthan, #BlackFungus declared an epidemic in Telangana. pic.twitter.com/PVnWoHdUqg
— NDTV (@ndtv) May 20, 2021
BREAKING | The Union Health Ministry on 20 May urged the states to make #mucormycosis, commonly known as #blackfungus, a notifiable disease under the Epidemic Diseases Act 1897. https://t.co/zPkFpv1MRl
— The Quint (@TheQuint) May 20, 2021
What Next: By declaring an epidemic, the state will be able to officially and accurately supervise and monitor the spread of infection and the number of cases across the country, and enable quick, effective treatment. Presently, doctors, who believe mucormycosis has an overall mortality rate of 50%, may have been triggered by the use of steroids on patients afflicted by the Covid-19 virus.