Black Fungus: Experts Flag Role Of Industrial Oxygen; Found More In Men, Says Study

With Covid-induced mucormycosis (Black Fungus) spreading faster across all states, experts have asked the government to determine the possible role of industrial oxygen in the infection.

Dr Uma Kumar, rheumatology head, AIIMS, New Delhi, said doctors had been using steroids routinely in rheumatology patients, but they had never seen such high cases of mucormycosis. ¡°Is this Covid playing with the immunity to invite mucormycosis or is it due to the use of industrial oxygen?¡± Kumar said, urging the ICMR to look into the issue.

AP

What is the role of industrial O2?

Experts say unhygienic delivery of oxygen to Covid patients could be a potential cause of black fungus infection. The recent shortage of medical oxygen led to industrial oxygen diversion to hospitals, but questions around its clean transport loomed.

Government experts have attributed black fungus epidemic to a combination of Covid, diabetes and irrational steroid use that suppresses immunity. Ramakant Panda, another expert, claimed unhygienic delivery of oxygen to patients was the root cause.

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He said medical oxygen as opposed to industrial oxygen was highly purified. ¡°It undergoes a range of processes such as compression, filtration and purification. Even its cylinders undergo disinfection and cleanliness processes,¡± he said, pointing to a possible role of unclean delivery of industrial oxygen for Covid treatment use as a probable reason for the black fungus surge.

Who are more susceptible?

Meanwhile, experts have found that men are more susceptible to getting infected by mucormycosis ¨C according to a soon-to-be published study conducted by four Indian doctors.

The study titled ¡®Mucormycosis in COVID-19: A systematic review of cases reported worldwide and in India¡¯, analysed 101 cases of Covid-19 patients contracting mucormycosis, a rare but serious fungal infection. It found that 79 of those infected were men. Diabetes mellitus was found as the single most important risk factor with 83 of the 101 suffering from it.

What is the severity of it?

While doing the research it was found that people who are diabetic and have contracted this infection have the highest risk rate. According to the study, a 60-year-old diabetic man from Mumbai succumbed to the fungal infection whereas a 38-year-old man who did not have diabetes survived. Severity in mucormycosis as well as association of death are higher in diabetic patients who have tested positive for Covid-19.

BCCL

Of the total people studied, the report said that 31 people died due to the fungal infection. As many as 60 people who had black fungus infection also had an active COVID-19 infection. Apart from this, 83 had diabetes and three had cancer. It is to note that in Maharashtra, 90 deaths have been reported from Covid-19 related mucormycosis.