HYDERABAD: An internal report prepared by the Government ENT Hospital, the nodal centre for treatment of mucormycosis (black fungus) cases, indicates a strong link between the fungal infection in Covid-19 patients and vaccination.
The analysis of 300 black fungus patients’ cases shows that 86 per cent of these patients had not been vaccinated while six per cent had received only one dose. However, eight per cent of these patients had received both doses but were infected.
The 300 patients had presented with severe necrosis of tissue — dead cells in sinus or eye orbit — and have undergone surgical debridement for controlling the spread of the virus. “We have done the analysis to arrive at an understanding on how various factors such as vaccination, use of steroids, oxygen among others are interlinked to mucormycosis,” informed Government ENT Hospital superintendent, Dr T Shankar.
Dr Shankar said that vaccination was found to have a big role and it was observed that black fungus attacked non-vaccinated Covid-19 patients more as most of the patients were not vaccinated. “This is yet another indication that people should come forward to get vaccinated as it is an added protection against serious post-Covid-19 complications,” he said.
The hospital report also reveals that 51 per cent of the patients had developed diabetes — denovo diabetes or new diabetes — while undergoing treatment for Covid-19 thus confirming that the viral infection did result in the onset of diabetes in many patients. As many 280 of the 300 patients fell in the category of diabetics, both new and pre-existing. It was seen that 43 per cent already had diabetes mellitus when they contracted Covid-19.
“This shows that mucormycosis largely affects diabetics who have recovered from Covid-19. Having diabetes under control is therefore recommended for all patients,” the ENT Hospital superintendent said.
The internal report also goes on to show that patients who had not been on steroids, oxygen supply or received Remdesivir injections, had also contracted the highly-aggressive fungal infection. Interestingly, what appeared to be aggressive mucormycosis did not turn out to be the infection in 12 per cent of the cases. This was confirmed by the post-surgery histopathology examination and was most likely necrosis of sinus. The condition, however, is treated with the same surgical method as mucormycosis.
