In the advice prepared by the Union Health Ministry and ICMR, the evidence for diagnosis and management of the disease is based.
It claims that it can become fatal if not taken care of, such as mucormycosis, a fungal infection that mainly affects people with drugs that reduce their ability to fight environmental pathogens.
“Mucormycosis, if not attentive, can become fatal. The sinuses or lungs of such people are affected after the fungus spores are inhaled from the air,” the advisory states.
Warning symptoms include pain and redness around the eyes and nose, fever, headache, cough, shortness of breath, bloody vomiting, and mood change, the advice states.
The main risk factors for the disease include uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, immunosuppression by steroids, long-term ICU stays, fatality, and voriconazole therapy, according to an advisory from the ICMR-Health Ministry.
The disease can be managed by controlling diabetes, stopping immunomodulation medications, reducing steroids and extensive surgical debridement – eliminating all necrotic substances, as per the advice.
Do’s
- Control hyperglycemia
- Monitor blood glucose level after covid-19 discharge and also in people with diabetes.
- Use steroid fairly – correct timing, correct dosage, and duration
- Use clean, sterile water for humidifiers during oxygen therapy.
- Use antibiotics/antifungals fairly.
Don’ts
- Do not miss warning signs and symptoms
- Do not treat all cases with a blocked nose as bacterial sinusitis cases, especially immunosuppression and/or on immunomodulators in COVD-19 patients
- Do not hesitate to do aggressive research for appropriate (KH staining and microscopy, culture, malditof) to identify fungus etiology.
- Do not miss the crucial time to start mucarmycosis treatment