Did Black Fungus Spread Amid 2nd COVID Wave Happen Through Hospitals' ACs? Study Suggests

During the summers of 2021, India was battered by a ferocious second wave of COVID-19. Although the country was faced with a COVID wave last year, this time along with the oxygen shortage and the scrambling for hospital beds, India dealt with another challenge in the form of a disease called mucormycosis, which was reported widely among the COVID patients. Also known as black fungus, mucormycosis is a rare yet serious fungal infection, which affects the lungs, sinus and the brain. What perplexed doctors and researchers was that this was only witnessed in India, and not in other countries with a large number of COVID cases.

Previously, it was believed that diabetes and the overuse of steroids might be the reason behind black fungus cases, which reached 50,000 by August. India has the second-largest number of diabetic patients in the world, second only to China. Both diabetes and steroid overuse affects the person’s immunity, making them more prone to black fungus. However, how did the fungal spores spread in the first place? As per a study undertaken by a group of microbiologists, infectious disease experts, and ENT specialists, the disease spread through the air-conditioning vents in the hospitals, as per a report published in Scroll.in. 

About The Study

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For this study, samples were collected from the air-conditioning vents at 11 hospitals where mucormycosis patients were treated. Since it was also suspected that the spores could have spread through oxygen cylinders and humidifiers, hence, samples from cylinders and storage tanks were also collected. This is what the researchers found out:

• Fungal spores were found in 11% of the samples collected from the air-conditioning vents.
• In contrast, there was no presence of spores in the samples collected from oxygen cylinders and humidifiers.
• Dr. Arunaloke Chakrabarti, who is one of the experts, told Scroll.in that they (the researchers) could correlate the presence of fungal spores in ac vents with the high number of mucormycosis patients in these hospitals.
• The spores can pass through the AC system, Dr. Chakrabarti said. Hence, hospitals should install high-efficiency particulate absorbing, or HEPA, to block them from passing through. 
• Notably, it was also found that when the air-conditioning vents and shafts were cleaned with soap water, the fungal spores count decreased.

The study is yet to be published, which means it hasn’t been peer-reviewed. The research will be completed in a month after which it will be published, Dr. Chakrabarti told the news website. 

What Is Mucormycosis?

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Here is everything you need to know about mucormycosis:

• An “aggressive and life-threatening infection,” according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), mucormycosis, or black fungus, is caused by a group of fungi called mucormycetes.
• The spores when inhaled enter the body, after which they can travel to the lungs, sinuses, and even the brain and eyes. Although less common, the spores can also enter the body through wounds or cuts. 
• It’s a non-communicable disease, which means it doesn’t spread from person to person. 
• The immunocompromised people or those who are already infected by another disease are more likely to suffer from black fungus.
• Since it’s a life-threatening disease, hence requires a prompt diagnosis and treatment, says the WHO.

Also read: Black Fungus Or Mucormycosis In Kids: Symptoms, Treatment, Prevention Tips

Symptoms Of Mucormycosis, Or Black Fungus

Its symptoms depend on the part of the body where the fungus is growing.

Rhinocerebral Mucormycosis (Affects Sinus & Brain)

Symptoms include:

• Swelling in one side of the face.
• Headache
• Fever
• Nasal or sinus congestion
• Lethargy
• Seizures
• Partial paralysis

Pulmonary Mucormycosis (Affects Lungs)

Symptoms include:

• Cough
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain
• Fever
• Hemoptysis

Cutaneous Mucormycosis (Affects The Skin)

Symptoms include:

• Skin lesion
• The affected region turns black
• Pain, excessive redness, swelling around a wound

Gastrointestinal mucormycosis

Symptoms include:

• Pain in the abdomen
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Gastrointestinal bleeding

Also read: Prevent Black Fungus Or Mucormycosis With These 8 Oral Hygiene Tips

There is another kind of black fungus called disseminated mucormycosis, which affects those already suffering from another disease, hence the symptoms are difficult to decipher.

Mucormycosis is a life-threatening disease. By July of this year, over 4,300 people in India had already died of this disease, which mainly affected the COVID patients. Due to its severity, prompt diagnosis and treatment are crucial. Once diagnosed, it is treated with antifungal medications and can even require surgery.  

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