New Delhi, May 6: Doctors at a leading private facility here are seeing a rise in the number of COVID-triggered mucormycisis cases, according to a statement from the hospital.

Mucormycisis is a fungal infection triggered by COVID-19. Black fungus or mucormycosis has been a cause of disease and death of patients in transplants, ICUs and immunodeficient patients since long.

According to Dr Manish Munjal, senior ENT surgeon at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, "We are seeing a rise again in this dangerous fungal infection triggered by COVID-19. In the last two days, we have admitted six cases of mucormycisis. Last year, this deadly infection caused a high mortality with many patients suffering from the loss of eyesight and the removal of the nose and the jaw bone." What Is Mucormycosis? From Symptoms to Its Link With Coronavirus, Here's Everything About Potentially Fatal Fungal Infection.

Dr Ajay Swaroop, the chairman of the ENT department at the hospital, said the use of steroids in the treatment of COVID-19 coupled with the fact that many coronavirus patients have diabetes could be one of the reasons for this rise in the number of black fungus cases again.

He said the infection is commonly seen in patients who have recovered from COVID-19 but have comorbidities such as diabetes, kidney or heart failure or cancer. Munjal concurred with his colleague and said COVID patients with a weak immunity are more prone to this deadly infection. 2-DG: DCGI Approves Anti-COVID-19 Oral Drug Developed by DRDO for Emergency Use.

"Early clinical suspicion on symptoms such as nose obstruction, swelling in the eyes or cheeks and black crusts in the nose should immediately prompt a biopsy and start of antifungal therapy as early as possible," he said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)