AIIMS chief pinpoints early signs of black fungus to nip disease in the bud

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Close to 9,000 cases of black fungus have surfaced during the second wave of coronavirus in the country. While around 80 per cent of them involve cases of diabetes and excessive use of steroids another 20 per cent or so relate to people without diabetes. These could be due to dirty industrial oxygen cylinders, unhygienic ventilators, dirty masks or unclean water used in humidifiers, according to Dr Arvinder Singh Soin, a specialist at Medanta Hospital.</p>
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India.narrative.com brings to its readers AIIMS, Delhi, chief Randeep Guleria’s advice on detecting early symptoms of the disease and the immediate steps that are require to be taken to minimise the damage. </p>
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If you are recovering from COVID-19 and there is a persistent headache or a swelling on one side of the face, immediately consult a doctor and get tested for Black Fungus. Do the  ame if you find discolouration in the mouth and decreased sensation in any part of the face, according to Dr Randeep Guleria, chief of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi.</p>
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Other early symptoms of black fungus include a blocked or bleeding nose or If there is loosening of a tooth.  immediately consult your doctor."</p>
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There were several ways of determining Black Fungus infection or Mucormycosis. An X-ray or a CT scan of the sinuses is done to see if there is infection. A second option is a biopsy through a nasal endoscopy.</p>
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"There is also a blood test that can be done a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based test," Guleria said while speaking on NDTV.</p>
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Dr Guleria said more cases of Black Fungus were being reported in India, despite it not being contagious, because of a large diabetic population and the unrestricted use and sale of steroids. Mucormycosis cases came up in the first wave, too, he said, although the number is greater during the second wave due to the excessive use of steroids. </p>
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All age groups and even non-Covid patients can contract Mucormycosis, he said. However, those above 40, who are also diabetic, are more prone. Children are at lesser risk only because a majority of children only have mild Covid infection that does not require the use of steroids.</p>