How COVID-19 Surge Is Related to a Black Fungus Outbreak
Fact Box
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source
, mucormycosis is caused by a group of molds called mucormycetes, which are found in soil and organic matter, like compost piles.
The infection typically affects people with health problems (like COVID-19) or those who take medicines that can lower the immune system’s ability to fight infection.
It commonly affects the sinuses or lungs after the fungal spores are inhaled from the air.
A surge in cases of mucormycosis, also known as black fungus, is affecting India — a country already experiencing a severe rise in COVID-19 cases.
More than 9,000 cases of the fungus have been reported, according to the Associated Press. And medication to treat it is running low.
This potentially fatal fungal infection is likely increasing due to the surge of people with COVID-19. Fighting the coronavirus can leave people’s immune systems compromised or weakened, which means they may have a higher chance of developing mucormycosis.
Healthline spoke with experts to better understand what might have caused India’s worsening health emergency.
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