Black fungus caseload nears 12,000 in India; 5 patients under treatment in J&K

Amid a devastating wave of Covid-19 pandemic, India has recorded 11,717 cases of Mucormycosis or Black Fungus with Gujarat, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh logging the highest number of cases, as per the official government data.

In J&K, as per the official data, five cases are under treatment in several hospitals.

As Mucormycosis cases surged in Covid patients, the Health Ministry, last week, asked all states to declare “Black Fungus” an epidemic and report all the cases. The disease has emerged as a new challenge in India’s battle against the pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday.

While Maharashtra has so far reported 2,770 cases, Gujarat has logged 2,859 cases and Andhra Pradesh has registered 768 cases. Union Minister DV Sadananda Gowda in a tweet shared the data from different states.

In Delhi, 620 cases have been recorded thus far, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Wednesday. However, the data shared by the Union Minister shows nearly 120 cases.
Mucormycosis, according to the ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research), is a fungal infection that “mainly affects people who are dealing with medical problems that reduces their abilities to fight environmental pathogens”.

Pain and redness around eyes or nose, fever, headache, coughing, shortness of breath, bloody vomits and altered mental status are some of the symptoms.

Mucormycosis “if uncared for” may turn fatal, says the ICMR, which is the nodal body in India’s fight against Covid.

Sinusitis, one-sided facial pain, numbness or swelling, blackish discolouration “over bridge of nose or palate”, toothache, loosening of teeth, blurred or double vision, chest pain and breathing trouble can be some of the symptoms in Covid or diabetic patients.