Not enough proof to say Covid-19 third wave will affect children: AIIMS director Randeep Guleria

Unsupervised use of steroids is leading to mucormycosis or 'black fungus' in India, the doctor said

While the country is witnessing a rapid increase in black fungus cases, AIIMS director Randeep Guleria said it will go down when Covid-19 numbers decrease. While talking to News18, he also said there’s not enough evidence yet to say that the third wave of Covid-19 will affect children.

After Delhi crossed the three-digit mark of mucormycosis, or black fungus, cases, there are a few 'white fungus' cases being reported from Patna Medical College Hospital. The AIIMS director told the publication, “The most important thing to remember is that mucormycosis is not a black fungus. It is a misnomer… because there is some discolouration of the skin as it decreases blood supply, it may give a feeling that the area has become black, that is why the name has come."

Diabetic people are at high risk of contracting this deadly fungal infection. The dose duration of steroids, diabetic people and the fungal infection need to be closely monitored to prevent this from happening, he said.

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Guleria told the publication, “There are people who are at high risk, they need to be careful about sugar control. We have to be very careful about the use of steroids. Early use of steroids predisposes one to secondary infection, both bacterial and fungal.”

The use of steroids in India is not closely monitored, and people have access to it from general medicine stores. That’s not the case in other countries and unsupervised use of steroids is leading to mucormycosis in India, he said. Black fungus cases have been found in Covid-19 recovered people, who took steroids without medical supervision in India.

On the predictions of children being at risk in the third wave of Covid-19, Guleria said, “There is not enough evidence to say the third wave is going to predominantly affect children. I think, even in the coming wave, they will be protected because of the very nature of the virus that it causes less infection in children."

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However, steps are being taken to ensure that kids are safe. He said trials to vaccinate those below 18 years have started and that should help in reducing the risk of them getting infected in the third wave. “Most vaccinologists think that the vaccine should be safe in children… Hopefully, in the next 3-4 months, we will have vaccines approved for kids," he said.

“One factor is that the ace receptors to which the virus binds itself to the human cells are relatively less in children as compared to adults,” Guleria said, explaining the reason why children naturally may be at a lesser risk of contracting Covid-19 as compared to adults.