What is mucormycosis?
It is a type of serious fungal infection that occurs most often in people with weakened immunity from an illness or chronic health condition.
Niti Aayog Member (Health) V K Paul had said that mucormycosis is caused by a fungus named mucor, which is found on wet surfaces.
Why are Covid survivors vulnerable to the infection?
In pre-Covid times, the ‘black fungus’ mucormycosis used to be rare and seen mainly in immunocompromised people. However, after the pandemic, three factors have led to an exponential rise Covid itself, diabetes and abuse of steroids that lower immunity.
Dr Lahane said the fungal disease is already known but the cases are increasing because of Covid-19 related complications, wherein the use of steroids elevates the sugar level in blood while some medicines result in suppression of immunity of patients.