The so-called “black fungus” is another major threat that COVID brings along for patients from India. After they recover from the coronavirus, tens of thousands of patients were found to develop mucormycosis, meaning a rare but dangerous fungal infection that can lead to blindness and even death.
The BusinessInsider.com publication raises the alarm about the spread of the cases of black fungus from India.
A 150% increase of infections and deaths due to mucormycosis
The black fungus (aka mucormycosis) causes blackening over the nose, chest pain, blurred or double vision, coughing of blood, and breathing problems. COVID patients with a weakened immune system and diabetes are particularly susceptible to become infected. The mortality rate of the black fungus is a terrifying 50%, and NPR.org reveals that in some cases, doctors were forced to remove the eyes and jawbones of the patients to save them.
For June 11, NDTV brings the horrifying statistic that there were 31.216 infections with mucormycosis in India and 2,109 deaths. These numbers represent a 150% increase compared to the previous three weeks.
It’s still a mystery what’s causing the surge of patients attacked by the black fungus in India after surviving the coronavirus. However, doctors have theorized that oxygen shortages from India’s recent surge in COVID cases could be the reason, as The New York Times reports.
It seems that one of the ways of staying away from the black fungus is also protecting yourself against COVID. This obviously means that maintaining a good hygiene is a critical aspect.
Narendra Modi, who’s the Prime Minister of India, is extremely worried about the spread of the black fungus among his country, as he called it a “new challenge” in the context of the COVID outbreak, according to NDTV.
