Black fungus claims eyesight of some Covid-19 survivors in Gujarat

The hospital, which is managed by a trust, has been receiving several patients diagnosed with Mucormycosis

The Gujarat government on Saturday acknowledged that there are more than 100 cases of fungal infection or mucormycosis in the state among coronavirus-infected people. According to various reports, the fungal infection has left many patients, many of whom had recovered from the infection, lose their eyesight, teeth, and jaws.

Acknowledging the prevalence of the disease for the first time on Saturday in the second wave of the pandemic, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani announced the setting up of separate wards in civil hospitals in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Jamnagar and Bhavnagar, which are the worst affected places.

Although the government has said that 100 cases have been detected so far, it is reported that the numbers could be as high as 500 to 700 at present. The numbers could be in thousands if reports from private hospitals are also included. Private hospitals have been reporting such cases in huge numbers for the past month.

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"We saw these cases (mucormycosis) even last year but they were not noticeable. This time, like the second wave of the pandemic, which is more severe than last year, cases of fungal infections are alarmingly high and serious," said a top officer in the Health Department. When asked about the number of fatalities caused by this infection, he said, "We don't have any data yet."

Rupani also announced that the government has ordered the purchase of 5,000 injections of Amphotericin B 50 Mg at a cost of Rs 3.12 crore for treating the patients. The government said that a meeting of a core committee of experts headed by Rupani at his residence was held to review the condition of Covid-19 in the state and increasing prevalence of mucormycosis in patients post-Covid-19 recovery.

The government's press note stated that people with diabetes, cancer, long-term steroid users, among others, are prone to get infected. It noted that some of the common symptoms are swelling on one side of the face, headache, nasal congestion or sinus-related issues, lump in the mouth, nostrils, eye pain, loss of vision, fever, cough, chest pain among others.

It said that antifungal drugs such as "Amphotericin-B, Posaconazole or Isavuconazole" are useful for the treatment. The chief minister also directed the Health Department to make the treatment guidance available to the people by the senior specialist doctors of the state.

Meanwhile, the state reported 11,982 new positive cases and 119 deaths. The number of discharge patients rose was 14,737 while the total active cases stood at 1,43,421.