Black fungus: in the case of Uruguay, two infected in Paraguay were added

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, there is a state of concern in South America about the black fungus, a disease starting to be associated with COVID-19, while The Uruguay case detected last Wednesday was joined by two people infected in Paraguay.

The first two cases of black fungus linked to COVID-19 in Paraguay To belong to a man and a woman with diabetes, both patients recovered from the coronavirus, as reported by the Paraguayan Society of Microbiology.

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The woman had a infection in the palate who was later diagnosed as mucous membrane mucormicosis, whereas in the case of man it was a Pulmonary infection perusing her COVID-19 photo that gave her a bloody cold. Both cases consist of diabetic patients who had coronavirus and developed symptoms of black fungal disease 20-30 days after becoming infected with COVID-19.

Although black fungal infection is common in the neighboring country, this is the first time that infections linked to weak defenses have appeared following suffering from coronavirus.

What is a “black fungus” or mucormycosis and who does it affect?

“Black mushroom” is the common name given to mucormicosis, a disease linked to a fungus It is generated in humid environments, it can be in the soil, in plants, in food and on walls.

“Diseases caused by fungi usually occur in people who are immunocompromised, that is, people with weak defenses, such as patients with HIV, cancer or diabetes. It is rare for people without these health problems to contract the disease ”, highlighted PROFILE infectologist Martín Hojman, member of the Argentine Society of Infectology.

In addition, he added that the hongo mucor, which causes mucormycosis, is common and is usually found in the nose and sinuses without causing problems in people who do not have health problems.

In patients with weakened immune systems, the fungus can affect the mucous membranes, eye sockets and respiratory system. In turn, Iinvades blood vessels and attacks the airways. It is detected from visible lesions, such as necrosis (tissue death) of the skin and around the eyes, or complications of the respiratory tract.

What consequences may have for patients recovered from the coronavirus

What relationship does the black fungus have with Covid-19 after the two infected in Paraguay

Doctors and experts agree that mucormycosis appears to infect COVID-19 patients whose immune systems are weakened by the virus.

“The recovered cases of coronavirus having contracted mucormycosis are striking. A priori, it makes sense to relate it more to treatment against COVID-19 than to the virus itself, we do not yet know if there is indeed a link between the two diseases “, underlined the infectologist Hojman.

This relation is given by the use of corticosteroids for a long time in the treatment of Covid-19, which can promote the development of mucormycosis due to increased blood sugar (blood sugar) and decreased immunity.

The key is to detect the black fungus early

Doctors and specialists recommend to be watch for visible symptoms such as necrosis (tissue death) on the skin and around the eyes, or respiratory tract complications. From there, a sample is taken whose culture is specific to detect the fungi.

It is a very invasive fungus that mainly affects the oral and nasal fossa, with loss of control of the eyelids, of which the lethality reaches 50% of the patients who contract it and death occurs within a few days.

CDI CP