AHMEDABAD: In one of the first comprehensive studies of mucormycosis prevalence and mortality in India, a study across 16 centres of India including Ahmedabad and Surat from September to December 2020 revealed that in 45% deaths, the fungal infection was found across eye and nose cavities.
The study titled ‘Multicentre Epidemiologic Study of Coronavirus Disease-Associated Murcormycosis, India’ soon to be published in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) journal Emerging Infectious Diseases by a group of authors led by city-based Dr Atul Patel, also highlighted the fact that 65% of the deceased were diabetics and 32% of them had ICU stay due to Covid-19 infection.
The study’s focus was to understand the impact of Covid-19 on prevalence of mucormycosis, and the researchers claimed that the number of normal mucormycosis cases remained the same, whereas Covid-associated mucormycosis (CAM) doubled.
In comparison of survivors and non-survivors after six weeks of treatment, the non-survivors (deceased) were slightly older at mean age of 55 years compared to 53 years for those who survived the infection.
Only 17% of those who succumbed had only Covid as underlying condition, whereas 65% had diabetes and 2% each had renal transplant and blood diseases.
In terms of spread of the infection, 45.5% of the deceased had rhino-orbital (nose and back of the eye) involvement, followed by 35.5% who had rhino-orbito-cerebral (involving nose, eye and part of brain).
About 13% had pulmonary involvement, the study found.