Hyderabad: Who is killing those who have just defeated Covid?

Hyderabad: Who is killing hundreds of those who have just defeated Covid? "It's black fungus", was the answer abuzz among the medical circles.

Going by the discussions in the medical circles, the post-mortem report of Rohit Sardana, a senior scribe who reportedly died fighting Covid, reported that his death was due to black fungus.

The disease called Mucormycosis in medical parlance can be fatal. It catches on to those who have been on oxygen support for five days or more. So, the oxygen which gives you life, actually becomes your death sentence.

Mucormycosis, simply known as black fungus, develops in the nasal tract due to poor quality of water used, through which the piped oxygen in hospitals passes to make it hydrated oxygen before it reaches the patient's nostrils. It's very much like the fungus which develops on bread due to moisture if kept for a long time.

It starts from the nostril, travels towards the eye and then towards the brain. This paralyses the nerves it travels through. So, first, it's the eye that loses vision very swiftly and permanently. If not prevented, then, it enters the brain and then it's a matter of a day or two before the person gets paralysed, has multiple organ failure or sudden heart attack and death.

Following these developments, the doctors looking at this new development were of the view that those on oxygen support in a hospital, it's crucial to keep looking around the nostrils for any black pigmentation. Even if they notice even the smallest dot, it should be brought to the notice of the medical personnel. Because anti-fungal vaccination should start immediately because this is the only treatment of the disease. Call an eye surgeon or specialist at once on a video call and show him or share a pic.

The treatment for it was to administer an injection dosage of 5ml per kilogram weight of a person. For example, if a person is 60 kg, it should be 300 ml, and if more, up to 80 kg, 400 ml. However, this has to be done under the medical supervisions, the doctors opine.

That apart, the oxygen supply also needs to be sanitised immediately. "While only distilled water should be used for hydrating oxygen, in all hospitals. However, allegations were doing round that due to callousness, negligence or ignorance, tap water or any other water available around is used by the paramedical staff. Also, the container for the water for hydrating the oxygen is seldom cleaned leading to the concentration of viruses and bacteria in the piped supply system, which cures one of Covid temporarily, but, kills him with the deadly "black fungus". Doctors warn that if tap water or even purified/boiled water is used in the humidifier, over some time, there'll be deposits of impurities, including micro-metals, minerals/salts which make things worse. Sometimes, even many senior doctors reportedly tend to overlook this crucial aspect of the life-giving oxygen supply.

In some of the cases have come to light by the time the black pigmentation was noticed by family members at home, it's already too late and even doctors are helpless. The most unfortunate part is the complete lack of awareness about this contamination in oxygen supply and about the deadly disease itself.

Now, the doctors say that checking for black fungus on patients on oxygen support should be made an essential part of the Covid protocol to save precious lives.