Over 300 cases of black fungus in Delhi, govt says allocation of Amphotericin-B less than demand

Cases of black fungus have been rising in Delhi amid the second wave of Covid-19. The national capital has reported as many as 300 cases of black fungus. Although the Covid cases are on the decline, the rising cases of black fungus in Covid patients have become a serious concern for the authorities.

According to the government data, dedicated centres for the treatment of fungal infection or mucormycosis have been set up. About 15 hospitals in the national capital are treating patients with mucormycosis or black fungus.

The Delhi government-run Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital and Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital in Shahdara have reported 36 more cases of black fungus in a day.

“Of the 36 (black fungus) cases at the LNJP Hospital at present, 30 people are Covid positive,” said Dr Suresh Kumar, the hospital’s medical director.

Mucormycosis or black fungus is more common among people whose immunity has weakened due to Covid, diabetes, kidney disease, liver or cardiac disorders, age-related issues, or those on medication for auto-immune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. If such patients are administered steroids, their immunity weakens further, allowing the fungus to thrive.

Meanwhile, the city government has now reported a shortage of Amphotericin-B, a drug that is used in the treatment of black fungus. Health Minister Satyendra Jain said that hospitals treating black fungus cases send their requirements straight to the government as per the standard protocol and injections are supplied to them.

He said that the city government has been allocated 2,000 injections as of now, which is much less than the demand.

Earlier on Saturday, Jain had cautioned Covid patients against taking steroids without a doctor’s advice.

“This is very dangerous. A patient’s immunity becomes zero when he/she takes steroids. Black fungus, which is found in soil or decaying matter inside homes, doesn’t affect healthy people. Chances of infection are more in those with low immunity,” he had said.

Meanwhile, Delhi recorded 1,649 new fresh cases of Covid, the lowest since March 30, and 189 fatalities on Sunday. the positivity rate has also slipped to 2.42 per cent. This is the second day on the trot that the number of deaths remained less than 200.

This is also the lowest daily spike in cases recorded since March 30 (992) and the first time that the count has gone below the 2,000-mark since April 1, when 2,790 people tested positive for the infection. Delhi had recorded 2,260 cases on Saturday, 3,009 on Friday, 3,231 on Thursday and 3,846 on Wednesday.

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