ICMR Study: Not just Long Covid, this disease that spread during Corona is also having a serious impact till now..

The coronavirus pandemic started in the last days of 2019. More than five years have passed since then, but experts are still not clear when people will get complete relief from it. Will they get it or not?

Corona has seriously affected our health. In case of infection, serious diseases caused especially by the delta variant have killed millions of people. Not only this, many studies have also been constantly expressing concern about the fact that people who have been infected with the coronavirus may have a long-term effect (long covid) due to it. Another report related to this may increase your concern further.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said in a recent study that mucormycosis, a deadly disease spread during the coronavirus pandemic, can also have a long-term effect on people. This study has found that many types of long-term health effects (such as facial deformity and difficulty in speaking) are being seen in people recovering from mucormycosis.

Amid the ongoing concerns about post-COVID or long COVID, this report has increased the tension among experts even more.

What is mucormycosis?

Mucormycosis, or black fungus, is a type of serious fungal infection. People who usually take immunosuppressive medicines are at higher risk of this infection. Such medicines weaken the body's immune system, reducing its ability to fight environmental pathogens. People suffering from diseases like diabetes are at higher risk of this infection. During COVID-19, the risk of this infection increased due to the use of certain medicines.

Cases of mucormycosis increased during the COVID-19 pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in cases of mucormycosis, a rare infection also known as 'black fungus'.

In a study published in Clinical Microbiology and Infection, a leading microbiology journal, researchers reported that 14.7 per cent of the 686 hospitalised mucormycosis patients died within a year, and most of the deaths occurred during the initial hospitalisation.

What do experts say?

Dr Rizwan Abdulkader of ICMR's National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE) said that patients who were given antifungal drugs and surgical treatment during mucormycosis infection had a higher survival rate. However, many people who have recovered from this disease are facing many types of deformities and psychological crises for a long time.

At least one problem (health complication or disability) has been observed in more than 70 per cent of the patients who have recovered from the disease, which is quite worrying.

A study was done on 686 patients.

This study, led by Dr Rizwan and the All India Mucormycosis Consortium, assessed the treatment outcomes and quality of life of patients hospitalized due to mucormycosis after recovery. For this, 686 patients from 26 hospitals were included.

Dr Rizwan says, these are not abstract complications. Problems like facial distortion, difficulty in speaking, and anxiety are a reality for many survivors. Now, the time has come for India to move beyond life-saving measures and also focus on mental health support and improving the quality of life of people who have recovered from diseases.

A new concern after long COVID

This research comes at a time when India is already grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic and its long-term consequences.

In the conclusion of the study, Dr Rizwan said, mucormycosis is not just a complication of COVID-19. It is a disease that requires long-term clinical attention, enhanced public health surveillance.

There is an urgent need to focus on treating long-term complications seen in people with mucormycosis and improving the quality of life of patients.

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