As per a soon-to-be-published study conducted by four Indian doctors, Men are less defensive against mucormycosis, commonly known as ‘Black Fungus’.
The study is titled ‘Mucormycosis in Covid-19: A systematic review of cases reported worldwide and in India’. The study would be published in Journal Elsevier.
The doctors have analyzed about 101 patients contracted to Covid-19 and infected from mucormycosis, a rare but serious fungal infection. The study showed that 79 out of those infected patients were men. Diabetic Mellitus was the key factor responsible for risk, 83 of 101 were diabetic patients.
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The four doctors – Dr Awadesh Kumar Singh from GD Hospital, Dr Ritu Singh from Diabetic Institute in Kolkata, Dr Shashank Joshi from Lilavati Hospital (Mumbai), and Dr Anoop Mishra from National Diabetes, Obesity and Cholesterol Foundation (New Delhi) together have studied these 101 patients that include 82 from India, nine from the USA and three from Iran.
According to the study, 31 out of 101 patients died due to fungal infection and 60 out of 101 had an active Covid-19 infection. 41 patients had recovered. 83 out of the total analyzed cases were diabetic and three were cancer patients.
In a case, a 60-year-old man, the diabetic patient succumbed to the fungal infection, but a 38-year-old man without diabetic history survived.
In the study death in diabetic patients with Covid-19 infection was reported high.
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What is Mucormycosis and how can one contract the infection
Mucormycosis/ Black Fungus is any fungal infection caused by fungi that affects people with medical health problems and reduces their ability to fight environmental pathogens. People coming in contact with fungal spores in the environment can develop mucormycosis. The infection can also develop on the skin after the fungus enters the skin through a cut, scrape, burn, or other skin injuries.
People who have co-morbidities, voriconazole therapy, uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, immunosuppression by steroids and prolonged ICU stay can easily contract the infection.
Possible symptoms of Mucormycosis
Pain or redness around the eyes, fever, headache, coughing, and shortness of breath, bloody vomit and altered mental status can be the symptoms of the infection.
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Many states in the country – Maharashtra, Haryana and Punjab, have declared Black Fungus as a notified disease due to the sudden spike in the cases. Some hospitals have even established a separate ward for the treatment called ‘Mucor Ward’.