A 34-yr-old man from Indore was airlifted to Mumbai’s PD Hinduja Hospital on Sunday for treatment of green fungus, which has emerged as a new Covid-19 complication. Green fungus, or Aspergillosis, is caused by aspergillus and has nose bleeding and high fever as main symptoms. It is suspected that it also causes severe weight loss and weakness. However, citing patient privacy, the hospital authorities refused to comment.
The patient is a businessman and was admitted last month to Shri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences, Indore, with Covid-19 infection. After being treated for a month, he was discharged from the hospital but was readmitted within 10 days with high-grade fever and nose bleeding. His blood and sinus samples revealed green fungus, which pulmonologist Dr Ravi Dosi said is the first case since the pandemic struck last year. He said he hasn’t treated anyone with complications where Aspergillosis was found in the lungs, sinus or blood.
Dr Dosi said the hospital wanted the patient to be treated by infectious disease experts due to severe complications. His family then shifted him to PD Hinduja hospital in Mumbai. “The patient is currently in an ICU,” he added.
Infectious disease expert and member of the state task force, Dr Om Shrivastav said there has been a surge in fungal and bacterial co-infections in Covid-19 patients during the second wave. He said, “Aspergillus mostly affects the sinuses, head, neck and lungs. Candida will affect any part of the body. We are already seeing mucormycosis. These infections have the risk of mortality along with Covid-19.”
Dr Shrivastav said these infections present themselves differently; they don’t always display classical features as Covid-19, too, has varied presentations that are misleading.
