Two Cases Of Mucormycosis Reported In 15 Days In Gujarat For The First Time Since Corona Period

During the Covid-19 outbreak, a lot of patients suffered from the serious condition of Mucormycosis. This medical condition, also known as black fungus, has once again surfaced as 2 cases of it have been reported in the last 15 days at the Gandhinagar Civil Hospital. Both the patients are in the ICU and are receiving intensive treatment. Moreover, as the fungus was spreading in a fatal manner, one patient’s eye had to be removed.

During the Corona period, patients suffered from fungal diseases due to receiving injections for diabetes, steroids, Remdesivir, and also receiving oxygen. Additionally, increasing cases of deaths caused due to the fungus entering the brain were reported. This had generated panic among the people. In the last 15 days, 2 cases of Mucormycosis have been reported at Gandhinagar Civil Hospital, due to which the Medicine, ENT, and Ophthalmology departments of the hospital have been put on alert.

According to the received information, the fungus had advanced due to sinuses in a 55-year-old man from Vanas village. After which, the fungus progressed internally till the eye, and in 2 days the eye got swollen. After a thorough diagnosis, the man was admitted to the Civil Hospital’s ICU due to having black fungus, and is now receiving intensive and expensive treatment for the same.

Similarly, a 60-year-old man living in Kadi was experiencing swelling and unbearable pain in his nose and eyes. As the fungus started advancing, Dr. Jigish Desai of the Ophthalmology department, along with his team, started giving immediate treatment to the patient. The left eye of the patient had to be removed in order to prevent the fungus from progressing towards the brain.

As of now, both the patients are under constant supervision of the doctors. The treatment of the fungus is very lengthy, expensive, and complicated. As a part of which, the patients are given anti-fungal injections. The injections, costing Rs.2,000, are being given to the patients. Seven such injections have to be given to the patients every single day for about 21 days, the expenses of which will be borne by the government.

Dr. Shashi Mudra, who is treating the patients, said that corona virus is not prevailing at present, but the main reason behind Mucormycosis in both the patients is diabetes. Uncontrolled diabetes and a weakened immune system cause fungus in the sinus of the nose, which advances at a fast rate, and in 2 days parts of the mouth get swollen and unbearable pain is experienced in the eye along with swelling. Rapid spreading of the fungus to the brain can even lead to the patient’s death.