Declared as an epidemic in Gujarat, what is Mucormycosis, and how to combat it?

Owing to the rising cases of Mucormycosis, the Union Government asked the state governments to declare it as an epidemic on Thursday. For COVID-positive patients and their relatives, the spread of Mucormycosis has been worrisome. With the bombardment of information at a rapid pace, it is imperative to debunk fake claims and dubious assumptions regarding the disease.

Mucormycosis, which has an inordinate mortality rate of 50%, is a fungal infection that has been reported to have majorly infected COVID patients in the last month. It is caused by exposure to mucor mold, found in soil and air, and even in the nose and mucus of healthy people. 

According to officials, the disease manifests in the skin, affects the lungs and brain, and can lead to loss of the upper jaw or eye. The risk of the infection being life-threatening spikes up in diabetic or severely immunocompromised individuals, such as cancer patients or people with HIV/AIDS. 

Doctors believe that the roots of a sudden rise in the cases might have a co-relation with the steroids being used to treat COVID patients. While steroids aid a patient to stop the damage by COVID, they also reduce immunity and push up blood sugar levels. The symptoms, chronologically, range from bleeding nose, swelling and pain in the eye, drooping of eyelids, and eventually, blurring and loss of vision. According to BBC, when patients reach to get a diagnosis done at a later stage of the infection, the doctors have to remove the eye in order to stop the infection from reaching the brain. 

A way to stall the possibility of the fungal infection is to make sure that COVID patients, both in treatment and after recovery, are administered the right dose of steroids for the right amount of time. Another measure to take is monitoring blood sugar levels constantly while being COVID-positive. 

Other safety measures that people can take to prevent themselves from exposing themselves to the virus are to:

• Use masks if visiting dusty construction sites. 
• Wear shoes, long trousers, long-sleeved shirts, and gloves while gardening.
• Maintain personal hygiene by thoroughly taking a scrub bath.
• Control diabetes during and after the treatment of COVID19.
• Discontinue immunomodulating and hydrate adequately.

Cases of Mucormycosis surpassed the COVID cases in Rajkot on Thursday. Subsequently, reports of a shortage of the anti-fungal drug to treat Mucormycosis, Amphotericin B, have surfaced from various states in India. With six companies already manufacturing the drug, five more companies have been approved to produce it.