Mucormycosis and Covid-19 - disease control and prevention

Most of the people are curious about the new infective disseminated mucormycosis disease that came into existence, before departure of the famous COVID-19. When everyone here is living with masks and sanitizers ON, there is no way to get out of those as this infection could be more dangerous.

What is Mucormycosis?

Mucormycosis is a type of fungal disease also called zygomycosis or cutaneous mucormycosis or black fungus infection. The infection looks like an ulcer and the infected area turns black in color. 

This type of infection is caused by the group of molds called mucormycetes living in the same environment that we live in. 

The fungus exists everywhere throughout the environment, that is we live with it. The mortality rate is approximately 54%.

Basically mostly or in large amounts is found in soil, decaying organic matter, compost piles or animal dung.

Why does mucormycosis happen?

The mucormycosis fungal infection mainly happens to those who possess weak immune systems. The people already affected by any type of health problems or are on some type of medication which is responsible in lowering their immune health to fight against these types of foreign germs. 

The spores inhaled mainly attack the lungs and thus are called pulmonary mucormycosis.

How does mucormycetes attack?

The fungal spores of mucormycetes spread around in the air enter the human body through the air we breathe, and through the external skin injuries or wounds. The disease or infection is not contagious, that is it does not spread from human to human or animal to human. 

And therefore it is a rare fungal infection since it only enters through the above mentioned paths in the human body.

What are the symptoms of mucormycosis?

There are a lot of symptoms of the infections through which the disease could be detected at the earliest. Some of them are:

·         Facial swelling of one side.

·         Nasal congestion.

·         Headache, fever and cough.

·         Bleeding nose.

·         Blurred vision or could result in loss of vision after sometime.

·         Change in mental status.

·         Pain around nose and eyes.

·         Pain in teeths and jaws.

·         Chest pain.

Also Read : Covid-19 - Symptoms and prevention

Who are at high risk of mucormycosis infection?

There is much comorbidity which could be a positive hand for this fungal infection. Some of them are:

·        Uncontrolled  Diabetes.

·         Cancer.

·         Hemochromatosis (excess of iron in body).

·         Neutropenia (low count of white blood cells).

·         Any external skin injury.

What are the risk factors of mucormycosis?

Some of the causes of mucormycosis for the attack are:

·         Use of drugs intravenously (through injection in vein).

·         Birth of premature infants.

·         Usage of steroids or corticosteroids.

·         Organ transplant.

·         Weak immunity.

 

How is mucormycosis related to COVID-19?

Mucormycosis is a rare fungal infection. It is not of a new type but cases of this type of fungal infection were found very rarely.

But in this phase when the world is already in fight with a virus, the cases of this infection also started increasing. Somehow, both of them are related?

Yes, they are related through a string of steroids.

The steroids reduce inflammation in lungs of COVID-19 patient.On one hand steroids are like life-saving treatment for those who are struggling with their lives and are at critical stage of COVID-19 infection, 

while on the other hand once when the patient recovers it is found that he gets infected by this mucormycosis.

The infection of mucormycosis is triggered due to the usage of steroids which weakens the immune system of the patient to fight against germs and increases the blood glucose levels as well which is very dangerous for diabetic patients.

Also read : What are the Medication and treatment of Covid-19

 

Dos and Don’ts if got mucormycosis infection:

Dos	Don’ts
Keep blood glucose levels in control.	Don’t act irresponsibly after recovering from COVID-19.
Use steroids as prescribed in the right manner and amount.	Once detecting symptoms contact the physician at the earliest.
Use antibiotics and antifungal in the correct manner.

 

How to prevent mucormycosis infection?

Well it is known from ages that, “PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE.”

There are some centers of disease control which are in our hand. Therefore, some of the precautions are listed below:

·         Prefer to use a mask all the time to stay away from COVID-19 virus as well as from mucormycetes spores. As they enter the body mainly through the nasal passage.

·         Avoid gardening or any type of work related to soil as they are found mostly in soil.

·         If staying away from soil is not possible, then prefer to go with gloves, full shirt and pants ON.

·         Keep a control over diabetes.

·         Lessen the usage of steroids, if not much necessary for a COVID patient.

·         Stay hydrated the whole day long.

·         Keep the wounds or external injuries clean as they are the second most pathway of infection.

·         Avoid visiting or stay away from construction or excavation sites, if recently recovered from COVID or having any other type of disease or had any organ transplant recently.

Also read: Do pregnant women are at high risk of Covid-19?

How mucormycosis could be treated?

The diagnosis and treatment of this infectious disease of mucormycosis include:

Blood test, biopsy of involved infected tissue is done in order to detect the traces of the fungus inside the body.

Well, till date no vaccine is discovered to prevent the infection. But there is:

·         An antifungal which is prescribed by doctors and consumed intravenously that is through injection. This particular antifungal injection is fairly expensive. It costs about 3500 Indian rupee per dose and it has to be taken for 8 weeks everyday. This is the only drug effective against mucormycosis infectious disease.

·         Another way to treat mucormycosis is surgery. The only way this could stop the spread of fungus to other organs of the human body is the removal of the infected area, part, infected tissue or organ from the body through surgery. 

The reported cases till now have majorly affected eyes in most cases and thus many people had to lose their eye or have lost their vision. 

Whom to visit if infected by mucormycosis?

If you are infected or feel to be infected through the mentioned symptom, then kindly visit to seek medical help at the earliest. One can go to:

·         Neurologist.

·         Microbiologist.

·         Plastic surgeon.

·         Otolaryngologist (ENT doctor).

·         Eye specialist.

·         Internal medicine specialist.

If provided near you.

 

The cases of mucormycosis are rising day by day. It’s a small step to help out those who are not aware of this infection. Lets get alert about it, so that it can’t convert into havoc like the corona, due to which we suffered almost 1.5 years and still suffer.

Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay covered. Stay at home.