In The Guardian, Hannah Ellis-Peterson writes that a rare and fatal “black fungus” disease known as mucormycosis, has been reported in more than 7200 covid patient in India who were reportedly on ventilators in intensive care units, ‘due to their airways being exposed to humidity and moisture’. The disease has reportedly taken 219 lives already.

India is struggling against a rapid increase in Covid-19 cases, but a nasty and rare fungal infection affecting some coronavirus patients is dealing the country a double blow.

BBC News

According to The Guardian, the black fungus disease has a 50% mortality rate and ‘affects patients initially in the nose but the fungus can then spread into the brain, and can often only be treated by major surgery removing the eye or part of skull and jaw’.

Black Fungus Disease Symptoms

The Guardian describes the symptoms of the back fungus disease as “The disease is caused by fungal spores found in soil and organic matter, usually inhaled by humans from the air. The mould enters the body and then manifests around the nose and eye sockets, causing the nose to blacken, and if not stopped will move fatally into the brain. Healthy individuals will usually fight off the fungus but it can spread fast in those with compromised immunity.”

It is also reported that most patients who caught black fungus disease also had underlying health conditions like diabetes or weakened immune symptoms.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), though the fungi (which are various types) aren’t harmful to most people, but can cause serious infections among those with weakened immune systems. It is not known to spread from person to person.

• ‘Black fungus’ disease linked to Covid spreads across India
• Mucormycosis: the black fungus hitting Covid-19 patients
• They recovered from Covid, only to die of ‘black fungus.’ What we know about the disease sweeping India

Mucormycosis and Its Link with Covid-19

BBC News: “Mucormycosis, formerly known as zygomycosis, is the disease caused by the many fungi that belong to the fungal family “Mucorales“. Fungi in this family are usually found in the environment – in soil, for example – and are often associated with decaying organic material such as fruit and vegetables.”

“Those that cause human disease grow well at body temperature and in acidic environments – the kind seen when tissue is dead, dying or associated with uncontrolled diabetes.”

A recent summary of Covid-19-associated mucormycosis showed 94% of patients had diabetes.

BBC News

The fungus reportedly gets entry to humans by (i) spores inhalation, (ii) swallowing spores in food or medicines, or (iii) when spores contaminates wounds. Of these three modes of entry, the inhalation is the reportedly the most common. “We actually breathe in the spores of many fungi every day but our immune systems and lungs, if healthy, generally prevent them from causing an infection,” BBC News reports.

“For the many patients affected with mucormyosis, the outcome is poor. About half of patients affected will die and many will sustain permanent damage to their health.”