The emergent threat of post-COVID symptoms such as the black fungus is maiming several patients in Indore. While the effects of the pandemic and successive infections have proven to be fatally dangerous, a new peril stands before the district’s health infrastructure yet again. As per initial studies, about 15% of black fungus patients, admitted at the MY Hospital in Indore have reported the infection in their brains. Adding to the already existing load of COVID patients in the city, the news has further raised an alarm across the city hospitals.
Black fungus infection spreads to brain via sinus
Mucormycosis or ‘black fungus’ infection has spun another horror for several patients at the Government Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital in Indore. On Monday, a senior doctor informed that around 55 of the total 368 black fungus cases in the hospital have reported the condition in their brains. This has been confirmed by CT (computerised tomography) and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans, the HOD of Neurosurgery at MYH notified.
He further elaborated that most patients suffered from a ‘small size infection’ in the brains, however, four had to undergo brain surgery to arrest the spread of infection. The HOD also informed that black fungus had reached these patients’ brain through their sinus, before hospitalisation.
Common symptoms of brain ‘black fungus’ infection
Several medical experts have listed the initial symptoms of the ‘black fungus’ infection in the brain. These range from headache to vomiting and patients may later also lose consciousness as the infection grows. Simultaneously, another official pointed at the crunch of the antifungal, Amphotericin-B injection for the rapid spread of the disease.
While earlier studies reflected that ‘black fungus’ incidence was a successive condition among recovering or recovered COVID patients, a few mucormycosis cases have been detected in coronavirus independent patients.
Meanwhile, it may be noted that daily COVID tallies are mapping a continuous dip since May 11 in Indore. On Monday, the district reported 391 fresh cases, while recoveries scaled over 1,012 discharges. These healing trends, where recoveries exceed the new intake, have successfully reduced the active caseload in Indore. Presently, the district’s active caseload and toll stand at 3,655 patients and 1,341 deaths, respectively.