Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, May 22: Health experts on Saturday said that Covid patients can contract black fungus disease two to three weeks after their recovery from the Covid and that such patients should avoid self-medication.
Dr Parmod Kalsotra and Dr Padam Singh, two prominent doctors at Shri Maharja Gulab Singh (SMGS) hospital Jammu, said that on Friday another suspected case of black fungus was admitted at the hospital while one patient has already died of the black fungus.
“Cases of black fungus were reported earlier here as well but such cases were very rare. But cases have increased manifold in India and the whole world,” the doctors said. “The symptoms of mucormycosis depend on where in the body the fungus is growing and patients must contact doctors if they have symptoms related to mucormycosis.”
They said that symptoms of mucormycosis include one-sided facial swelling, headache, nasal or sinus congestion, black lesions on nasal bridge or upper inside of mouth that quickly become more severe, fever, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, gastrointestinal bleeding, cough, chest pain and shortness of breath.
The doctors said that whenever anybody develops any symptoms, they should avoid self-medication as early detection of mucormycosis is a must. “Otherwise its fatal rate is very high. Patients should not waste time in self-medication,” they said.
The patients, who are at high risk are those using steroid drugs for long-term, uncontrolled diabetes, cancer, have gone through transplantation and other immunocompromised patients, the doctors said. “Patients, who are on oxygen must use distilled water in the oxygen pump and change oxygen tubes frequently,” the doctors said.
