After black fungus, cases of white fungus surface in Ghaziabad

Ghaziabad: As many as seven recovered Covid patients have been diagnosed with invasive aspergillosis, commonly known as white fungus, so far in Ghaziabad

Ghaziabad: As many as seven recovered Covid patients have been diagnosed with invasive aspergillosis, commonly known as white fungus, so far in Ghaziabad.

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According to the health department, while cases of white fungus are new, as many as 41 patients of mucormycosis or black fungus are being treated in the district as of now. However, at least three patients in the district have developed both the fungal infections, doctors said.

The Harsh ENT Hospital in Raj Nagar has a total of 26 such patients – seven are patients of white fungus while the rest are black fungus patients.

Doctors at the hospital said that white fungus in the patients was confirmed on the basis of histopathology reports.

“Invasive aspergillosis or white fungus or is a post-Covid complication in which the infection goes to the lungs and causes pneumonia, while black fungus takes a different route and goes to the sinus, eyes and further to the brain. Three of our 26 patients have developed both the fungi. These infections develop in the post-Covid stage in patients, after 15-30 days (of testing negative),” said Dr BP Tyagi, senior ENT surgeon, who is treating the patients.

Invasive aspergillosis is a rapidly progressive, often fatal infection that occurs in patients who are severely immunosuppressed. In this case, doctors said, most patients are those who have recovered from Covid who had low immunity because of steroidal drugs they were administered to fight the coronavirus disease.

“These are mostly found in diabetic patients. While black fungus can be operated upon and taken out from the eyes and sinus, the white fungus has only one mode of treatment – through injections as – parts of the lungs cannot be taken out. While patients are administered Amphotericin injections, those suffering from white fungus are also given posaconazole injections and tablets, in addition. All seven patients suffering white fungus have mild to moderate symptoms,” Dr Tyagi added.

Eleven of the mild to moderate symptoms of black fungus and getting treatment through the OPD and staying in home isolation, the doctor added.

Doctors at Max Hospital, Vaishali said that they have 13 patients getting treatment for black fungus and two of these are likely to be discharged Monday.

“Of these, a couple of patients have mild mucormycosis while others have sino-orbital-cerebral mucormycosis, where eyes and brain are involved. In a couple of cases, enucleation (removal of eye) was needed. There is another patient who would need mandibular (lower jaw) reconstruction, like the one needed in cancer patients. Two patients, who had mild symptoms are to be discharged after successful endoscopic treatment,” said Dr Sharad Joshi, principal consultant, department of pulmonology at Max Hospital, Vaishali.

The district’s chief medical officer, Dr NK Gupta, said that the 41 patients in Ghaziabad getting treatment for these fungal infections include those from outside the district as well.

“The drug posaconazole is effective in cases of white fungus, and is easily available. It has been seen that such infections have developed in Covid-recovered patients. We have directed hospitals to ensure proper hygiene and proper cleaning of equipment, including oxygen pipelines,” Dr Gupta said.

“For cases of black fungus which require the drug amphotericin b, we have asked hospitals to refer patients to higher centres,” the CMO.