GB Nagar records 11 black fungus deaths in last two months

Mucormycosis, commonly known as black fungus, has claimed 11 lives in Gautam Budh Nagar between May and June this year, according to data available with district health officials

Mucormycosis, commonly known as black fungus, has claimed 11 lives in Gautam Budh Nagar between May and June this year, according to data available with district health officials. The health department started keeping a record of black fungus cases from May.

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Currently, there are 10 active cases of the disease in the district while total 117 cases of black fungus have been recorded by the district health department so far. While four deaths were reported in May, seven fatalities from the infection were reported in June. No deaths have been reported in July so far, said officials.

Dr Sunil Kumar Sharma, chief medical officer of Gautam Budh Nagar said, “The district health department has not recorded a single new case of mucormycosis in July so far, which is an indication that the disease is not affecting new patients any more. Out of the total cases recorded so far, 96 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals.”

According to doctors, mucormycosis is a post-Covid complication where patients who have recovered from Covid-19 suffer from a fungal infection. Most of the early symptoms of this disease include headache, facial swelling, swelling around the eye, pain in the nasal area, black particles found in nose or upper area of the mouth and sinus congestion, said officials.

Dr D K Gupta, chairman of Felix Hospital in Sector 137, said black fungus is found among those whose immune systems have been compromised or are weak, especially patients who have uncontrolled diabetes, those who have been on a long course of antibiotics, long term steroids, intravenous fluids, oxygen therapy or some immunosuppressant treatment.

“The minimum diagnosis time for mucormycosis is 1-2 weeks after recovery from Covid-19 and maximum is 4-6 weeks. The infection has also been detected in many patients who were under home isolation and were using oxygen cylinders at home without professional guidance,” said Gupta.

Meanwhile Dr Sunil Dohare, district surveillance officer of GB Nagar, said the official data includes patients from other cities and districts who were being treated here.

“GB Nagar is one of the referral centres for the whole of western Uttar Pradesh, which is why patients from nearby districts also get treated here. The official record of mucormycosis cases does not differentiate between whether the patient is from GB Nagar or outside. Rather, it only tells us about the mucormycosis patients who were admitted in private and government hospitals in the district for treatment and whether they recovered or died,” said Dr Dohare.