With the “Black Fungus” situation in India deteriorating every day, the health authorities in Bangladesh are now preparing to issue guidelines for the disease’s treatment if it arrives here.
During a Covid-19 health bulletin on Sunday afternoon, Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) officials said they have held discussions on the issue and already sent an alert to the district level authorities concerned.
Health authorities in India have already warned that the rare fungal disease with a 50% mortality rate is linked with Covid-19 as well.
Doctors told the BBC that the normally rare infection, called mucormycosis, apparently strikes 12-18 days after a patient recovers from Covid-19.
They said the black fungus infection has now become more challenging than Covid-19. If patients are not treated in time and properly, then the mortality rate can go up to 94%. The cost of treatment is also expensive.
Prof Dr Nazmul Islam, one of the spokespersons for Covid-19 management at the DGHS, said the National Technical Advisory Committee (NTAC) on Covid-19 will take the matter into serious consideration and finalize the directives.
“We will give specific guidelines for the management and treatment of black fungus patients," he added while replying to a question.
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Prof Nazmul, also a director (Disease control) of DGHS, said patients diagnosed with black fungus were first found in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi and recently in West Bengal of India. Some states have also declared it an epidemic.
In reply to a question, he said that the authorities were on high alert so that the black fungus cannot put additional pressure on Bangladesh’s health system.
According to media reports, India has already reported over 8,800 black fungus cases and over 200 deaths.
BBC reported that Gujarat and Maharashtra have recorded more than half of the reported cases. Following the rise in cases, India's 29 states have been told to declare the disease an epidemic.
Diagnosis and symptoms
In early May, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) issued an advisory on the diagnosis and treatment of the black fungus disease following the worsening situation.
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According to ICMR, people undergoing oxygen therapy in ICU, where a humidifier is used, were more at risk due to exposure to moisture. So, they have recommended sterile water for oxygen therapy.
It said people with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, immunosuppression by steroids, prolonged ICU stay, co-morbidities like post-transplant/malignancy and Voriconazole therapy were most at risk.
India’s health ministry has already confirmed that the infection was being detected among people who were recovering or have recovered from Covid-19.
The country’s doctors and health experts have asked all to not overlook the disease’s symptoms, especially if the suspected patients were infected by Covid-19 recently.
According to ICMR, the warning symptoms were sinusitis, nasal discharge (black or bloody), pain on the cheekbone, one-sided facial pain, numbness/swelling, blackish discolouration over the nose bridge, toothache, loosening of teeth, blurred or double vision with fever, skin lesion, thrombosis, chest pain and shortness of breath.
Dental experts said that maintaining oral hygiene was a must to be safe from the disease. They also advised changing the toothbrush after testing Covid-19 negative.