Jammu and Kashmir’s winter capital Jammu witnessed the first case of mucormycosis or ‘Black Fungus’ at the Government Medical Collage (GMC) on Friday.
“A mucormycosis case has been found in a 40-year-old patient. The patient, who recovered from COVID-19, is now suffering from uncontrolled diabetes. He is under observation,” Dr. Shashi Sudan, Principal of the GMC, said.
The sugar level of the patient, which is around 900, could be due to long-term use of steroid drugs, she said.
Govt issues advisory
The Directorate of Health Services Kashmir had issued an advisory for the prevention of mucormycosis.
“Better control of the sugar levels during COVID-19 with or without steroids. Judicious use of steroids observing correct timing, correct dose and correct duration,” the advisory said.
It directed “judicious use of antibiotics or antifungal”. “To use clean, sterile water for humidifiers during the oxygen therapy, use distilled or sterile water, never use unboiled tap water or mineral water,” it said.
All Chief Medical Officers were directed to ensure that the safety of steroids by retail medical shop owners is regulated and dispensed only under a valid medical prescription.
Influenza expert Dr. Nisar ul Hassan, also president of the Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK), said if mucormycosis is left untreated it could be fatal for COVID-19 patients.
“COVID-19 leads to lymphopenia, therefore, predisposing patients to opportunistic fungal infection. People who have diabetes should keep their sugar levels in control,” he said.
After inhaling fungus from the air, it could go into nose, sinuses, eyes and brain leading to loss of vision and even death in some cases, he noted.
