The first case of what has been dubbed as ‘Green fungus’ infection in a novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patient was reported in India on June 15, 2021.
The infected patient, a 34-year-old Indore man, was shifted to Mumbai's Hinduja Hospital by air ambulance. He was diagnosed with a fungal infection called Aspergillosis this week. The patient had battled COVID-19 for two months with a severe lung infection, the doctors said.
Aspergillosis is caused by Aspergillus, a common mold fungus that lives indoors and outdoors. Most of us breathe in these Aspergillus spores every day without getting sick. But people with compromised immunity or lung disease are at risk of getting infected.
Aspergillosis can cause allergic reactions, lung infections and infections in other organs. COVID-19 patients who are diabetic and under steroid therapy, are at risk of various fungal infections. India has more than 28,000 Mucormycosis (a deadly fungal infection by zygomycetes) cases right now. Infection by Candida fungi, which has been dubbed as ‘White fungus’ and Yellow fungus are other fungal infections reported in COVID-19 patients in India.
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