Black fungus is closing in fast

Our Correspondent

Hoshiarpur, May 22

Amid the rising cases of Covid-19 in villages of the district, a suspected case of mucormycosis (black fungus) has been reported in Hoshiarpur. Sources in the Health Department on Saturday told this correspondent that the first ever patient of mucormycosis was reported in the district today.

The patient was a 55-year-old woman who had recovered from Covid-19 recently. While the patient has been told to be referred to the PGI, Chandigarh, the Civil Surgeon of the district at first denied having any information in this regard. Later in the evening he said that it was a suspected case with many other complications.

According to the sources, a 55-year-old woman from Randhawa Barota village in the district had recently recovered from Covid-19. As she suffered from some post-Covid complications, she had come to the ESI Hospital for treatment. As doctors detected symptoms of black fungus in her, she was referred to the Civil Hospital, Hoshiarpur, from where she was referred to the PGI, Chandigarh.

When contacted, Civil Surgeon Ranjit Singh Ghotra at first denied having any information in this regard. He said the ESI Hospital should have informed his office, but there was no such information with him. “I am not aware of any such case as I have received no information in this regard. Now if you are saying, I will check it,” said the Civil Surgeon. Later, he said though the case apparently seemed to be of mucormycosis, it was not declared yet so it can be mentioned as a suspected case of mucormycosis as she was having so many other complications like hypertension and type-II diabetes.

Admn demands 100 Amphotericin injections

Jalandhar: Jalandhar has started seeing downward trend in Covid-19 cases due to flattening curve of the pandemic, said Deputy Commissioner Ghanshyam Thori on Saturday while participating in a virtual review meeting presided over by Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan.

The DC stated that the administration had placed demand for 100 Amphotericin injections to effectively tackle the surging case of Mucormycosis disease prevailing throughout the country. He stated that the district administration is keeping a close tab over the situation and taking daily reports from the concerned authorities.

The DC added that as many as 2010 beds in both L-II & L-III facilities across the district are available with oxygen stock for around seven days amid declining this trend. He said the bed occupancy and oxygen demand is also decreasing daily, which is a positive sign. He stated that now the special emphasis is being laid on this Mucormycosis or black fungus disease besides sensitising people to strictly follow Covid-appropriate behaviour to keep virus spread under check.

The DC thanked people of Jalandhar for their cooperation with district administration to tackle this second wave, while appealing to them to not lower their guard.

Covid, diabetes, steroids fuelling outbreak, say Docs

Jalandhar: During a formal meeting of the Health Department on the present scenario of mucormycosis or black fungus, health teams reported at least 24 such cases in the district. Doctors are alarmed at the frequency of the cases being reported in the district during the second wave of Covid. The state government had declared black fungus as a notified disease under the Epidemic Diseases Act on Wednesday. According to sources, so far, two deaths have been reported from the disease. The department says the entire picture will be clear when all private hospitals send in their data by Monday. Health sources also claim that around 24 to 25 cases had been reported in a meeting held recently and the number of cases was now about 30 to 35 in the district. Doctors said there was a dramatic rise in number of cases of the rare disease, of which merely three to four cases were reported every year. Dr Sandeep Goyal, DM, Neurology, NHS Hospital, said, “We have been treating mucormycosis cases for the past 25 years but have witnessed an unprecedented rise in number of cases during the second wave of Covid. Earlier, only three to four cases were reported in a year. But amid the second wave, 15 to 20 cases have already been reported this year. Last year, the first case of black fungus was reported in July. In all, three patients were reported in as many months during the first wave and a total of six cases were reported in 2020. “One of our patients suffering from mucormycosis also died. At present, we have three patients suffering from the disease at our hospital,” he said. Dr Vijay Mahajan, Tagore Hospital, said, “We have three cases of mucormycosis with us currently. Patients who are on steroids are more prone to get the disease.”— Aparna Banerji