Maharashtra To Compile Database Of "Black Fungus" Cases To Assess Its Spread: Report

On Wednesday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said as many as 111 patients, all COVID-19 survivors, were undergoing treatment for mucormycosis in hospitals in Mumbai.

The Maharashtra health department has decided to create a separate database of cases of mucormycosis, primarily being found in COVID-19 patients, to assess its actual spread and how to tackle it, officials said. Two COVID-19 patients recently died of this rare but serious fungal infection in neighbouring Thane, while there has been a surge in such cases in Mumbai and Pune, they said. As per doctors, mucormycosis, also known as the black fungus, is mostly found among COVID-19 patients who have diabetes. Its symptoms include headache, fever, pain under the eyes, nasal or sinus congestion and partial loss of vision. Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Tuesday said there could be over 2,000 mucormycosis patients in the state as of now and with more and more COVID-19 cases coming up, "their number would increase for sure".